Pokemon - Adventures In Meluha
by Ash Jason
Summary: Join Ash & friends as they travel through the diverse, peaceful and prestigious region of Meluha - a region which sets an example of unity in diversity. But soon, the fragile peace of the region will soon be threatened, as Dark Forces plans to destroy it & destabilize the region. Get ready Ash Ketchum, to face the biggest threat you have ever faced... Amour VS Poke Shipping!
1. Prologue 1 - Dawn of a new hero

**Pokémon – ADVENTURES IN MELUHA**

_By – IndianKnight & Ash Jason_

PROLOGUE 1

**Notification : **

**Prologue 3 is Out! The Prologue focuses on how Ash ends up on an adventure to the majestic & mysterious region of Meluha. It is set right after Ash returns to Kanto, after winning the Alolan Pokemon League. Check it out!**

* * *

Author's Note:

**Welcome to Pokémon – Adventures In Meluha!**

One of the most ambitious Pokémon Fanfiction projects ever, this Fanfic is set in the Pokémon Anime Universe. It derives lots of elements from the manga, the games & the anime. This story will serve as a conclusion for all the character arcs of the original characters, while setting up a new generation of heroes. This is my first & only (probably) fanfic. Hope you all enjoy it!

A huge shout-out to my Sissy, the IndianKnight! She's the one who created all the art & helped me write this fanfic! Her contribution to this fanfic is invaluable, so go check out her fanfics! **– AJ**

The first two prologues will focus on the origin story of one of the main protagonists of this series – Jay Sharma. Jay is a selfless, courageous & adventurous guy, who's mistaken to be CHEESY & OVER-PROTECTIVE. He's not OBLIVIOUS, unlike his role-model who infamously traveled with so many girls yet didn't fall for a single one. Infact, the FANS of his role-model are much more concerned about his pairing than that guy himself is.

Anyways, get ready for a fun & adventurous ride! Here we go! **\- IK**

* * *

_Five years ago (Jay's Age here is 8 years)…_

It's a sunny Sunday in the Marina City, the largest city of the Meluha region. Praised with beautiful beaches & majestic seas, this metropolis is known as the City that never sleeps. One can find Pidoves in huge quantities here. Pidgeys are chirping, Pidoves are flying, and the day seems to be fine & peaceful. But not for everyone.

"Come on you filthy rodent, show us how you use your _**Thundershock**_!" says the leader of a bunch of kids. "Pi!" the thing subjected to the harassment cries out in pain, as the thing gets poked by a stick for the umpteenth time. The thing is a tiny mouse Pokemon, with a yellow colored body, red cheek pouches & pointy ears. What was his mistake? All he wanted was to eat the Mago Berries! But these boys came out of nowhere & surrounded him.

"Hey, Come on! Show us how you use your _**Thundershock**_!" says the boy again, as he again pokes his stick at the poor Pichu. Pichu was helpless. His Mommy died in a car accident just a few days after he was born. He had never seen his daddy, but Mommy used to say that he was a Raichu of someone called as 'trainer'. His Daddy's trainer was unaware of what had happened, & so his so-called trainer trapped his daddy in that ball-like thing & left, leaving his Mommy alone. Ever since, he has been by himself, scavenging for food & hiding in building pipes for survival. He too wanted friends. He too wanted a family. He too wanted to get stronger! But he can't do that alone.

He needed someone's help for getting stronger. He needed friends for that. So he tried to make friends before. Few weeks back, he tried making friends with those Rattata who lived in the sewers, but he failed to fit in them. He tried to make friends with that Meowth, who lived in the thrash cans, but she tried to EAT him. So, here he was, trying to survive on his own, by searching for berries & scavenging for leftovers in the thrash cans & garbage piles.

"Looks like you don't know _**Thundershock**_, rodent. You are pathetic!" says the same boy. "Guys, what do you think? Shall we teach this rodent how to use it?" asks the boy to his friends. "Yeah!" his friends reply in unison. "Oh, I gonna love it!" says the boy, in a maniac's tone. The boy's friends step forward & pin Pichu to the ground. The boy takes out a feather from his pocket & starts tickling the helpless rodent near his cheek pouches.

Pichu flails, while pinned to the ground by the boys, as he gets tickled, which causes him to laugh, cry, & feel pain at the same time. He still doesn't get it why these boys are bullying him. After what felt like eternity, the tickling stopped. "Looks like my method failed. That means this rodent is TRULY PATHETIC!" says the boy. "I hate pathetic things. Time to teach you a lesson!"

The boy picks up his stick again, but this time, not to poke, but to directly hit the tiny mouse Pokemon. Pichu watched in horror as he awaited his fate. Looks like this is the end of his story. Looks like he will never receive the love & happiness he was searching for. He never felt so helpless. Only Arceus can now save him from his doom.

"STOP!" A voice called out. Pichu & all the boys turn around, only to see a raven haired boy standing there.

"Well, see who wants to stop us", says the boy.

"Leave that Pichu alone, Neil!" says that raven haired boy.

"Oh, like really! Like REALLY! I don't take orders from anyone, Jay. I am the BOSS here", says the boy. Apparently, his name was Neil this whole time.

"If you don't leave that Pichu alone, you will pay for it!" says Jay, the raven haired boy.

Neil smirks. "Guys, we can deal with that pathetic rodent later. Let's deal with this brat first!" says Neil to his friends.

His friends immediately leave Pichu & stand beside Neil. "Grab him!" orders Neil.

His friends start moving towards Jay. Jay braces himself for the incoming threat. The duo approaches Jay in a dramatic manner. When they close their distance, they immediately pounce on Jay in a bid to catch him. Jay coolly gets out of the way & the duo crashes onto the ground. Seeing his friends going down that easily, Neil immediately runs towards Jay, without thinking twice. With a fist in the air, in order to punch Jay in the face, Neil runs towards Jay; but Jay again dodges the incoming attack & Neil crashes into his two friends, who were trying to get up at the time, causing all of them to crash on the ground again.

Jay then turns towards the trio who are now lying on the ground. He smiles looking at their state. "You really need to look around & think twice before acting, Neil", says Jay, in a teacher's tone. He then turns around to see Pichu, who was cowering in fear, at the base of the Mago Berry Tree. He slowly approaches near the Pokemon, & then kneels down, so that he can take a clear look of the abused Pokémon. Both of them can now see each other, face to face.

"Hey there", says Jay. "Pi", replies the Tiny mouse Pokemon, still cowering in fear, but trying to show that he acknowledged the human's presence. This human youngling saved his life. He can at least reply to him.

"Sorry about Neil. He is a bully. But don't worry. Now that I am here, I will protect & take care of you. You are not pathetic. No one ever is. My mommy says everyone is unique & has a value in this world. Everyone is born to fulfill his goals & destiny. That applies to everyone, even you & Me.", says Jay, quite mature for his age.

Pichu is taken aback by the words. No one has ever said him such kind words. This boy seems to be quite generous. Jay then gets up & plucks a Mago Berry from the tree. He gives it to Pichu & watches him as he slowly takes the berry & eats it.

"Pi Pichu!" Pichu cries out in joy. The berry is very tasty, & this boy is very kind. No one has ever treated him with such love & kindness. Maybe he can finally get a friend!

"So Pichu, what do you say? Wanna be friends? Wanna come with me? We can play, eat & enjoy a lot!" says Jay. Jay loves Pokemon & always wants to befriend anyone he interacts with.

Pichu looks at the kind human. Maybe he should give him a chance, afterall he saved his life from those bullies, & he desperately needed friends. "Pichu Pi!" says Pichu joyfully. He finally got a friend! Maybe Arceus listened to his pleads. Maybe this boy is Arceus himself!

Pichu jumps into Jay's hands. Jay hugs the Tiny mouse Pokemon. He always loved Pokemon, & he can't withstand any sort of bullying. He will do anything to maintain Peace & Justice wherever he goes. Not to mention that his favorite Pokemon is Pikachu.

As Pichu snuggles into his savior's chest, he notices that Neil & his bully friends have gotten up once again & are running towards Jay with the intention to hit him. "Pichu!" Pichu cries out in fear, as he tries to signal Jay about the incoming threat. "Hey, what's wro… AAAH!" says Jay, as he gets hit by the stick on his back. He falls onto the ground, face-first. Pichu gets away just in time.

Without hesitating for even a single moment, Pichu immediately rushes towards Jay's face. "Pichu Pi!" says Pichu, as he tries to help Jay with getting up.

"Get lost you pathetic rodent!" shouts Neil, as he hits Pichu with the stick, too; sending him flying away at a decent distance.

"Now let's deal with you, brat. You gonna pay for humiliating me!" says Neil, as he swings his stick with such a force that it breaks into pieces when it comes in contact with Jay's back.

"I don't need any extra tools to deal with you", says Neil, as he throws away the broken stick & brings in his leg & kicks Jay in his guts. Jay groans in pain as the bullies start to kick him from all the directions.

Pichu gets up after receiving that hit. He is still unable to understand the problem of these bullies. What's wrong with them? Why are these guys bullying them? What did he or that good guy ever do them to get bullied in return? When he observes Jay getting hit by those bullies, he feels sympathy & pain for him. That boy saved him & now he is even getting beaten up because of him. He can't let that happen. This boy was so nice to him; he should at least do something for him so that the bullies stop hitting him. Suddenly, he feels a power generating within himself. This power always existed within him, but it was dormant. Feeling energized & empowered by the power, he shoots a powerful _**Thundershock**_ towards the bullies, while shouting "PiiiiChuuuuuu!"

The _**Thundershock**_ makes contact with the bullies & Zaps them. The bullies scream in pain. Luckily, it didn't make a contact with Jay. After getting that powerful _**Thundershock**_, the bullies fall on the ground, covered with light soot, barely able to move.

When Jay finds that the bullies are down, he gets up immediately, dusts off his clothes, ignores his bruises & wounds, & looks towards Pichu, who himself was in shock of what he just did. "Are you okay, Pichu?" asks Jay, genuinely concerned about Pichu. "Pi Pichu!" says Pichu, signalling that he is okay. Pichu runs towards Jay & jumps up to hug him again. Jay returns the hug, & then places him on his shoulder.

"See, didn't I tell you? No one is pathetic. That _**Thundershock**_ was awesome! You are truly powerful!" says Jay. "Pihihi", Pichu laughs, while blushing at the praise. So he truly isn't pathetic. He then notices a bruise on Jay's cheek. He immediately starts licking it.

"Stop it Pichu that tickles!" says Jay, ignoring the pain surging through his wounds. "Come on, Pichu. Let's go home! You gonna love your new home!" says Jay. Without thinking twice, Pichu gives an affirmative "Pi Pichu!", & they start walking towards Jay's home.

"That pathetic rat & the brat", mutters Neil, as he watches the new friends leave, while he still lies on the ground. "They will pay for it", says Neil to no one in particular, as Jay & Pichu now go out of his sight.

* * *

"Welcome Home, Pichu!" says Jay, as he opens the door of his home. Jay lives in a small-sized flat, on the second floor of an apartment. Pichu looks around the house. The flat is small, but decent enough to hold a family of three. But for Pichu, this place is like a heaven; afterall he spent most of his life in the dark corners & sewers of the Marina City.

"So, do you like it?" asks Jay, in a friendly manner. "Pichu Pi!" replies Pichu joyfully. It's not dark & looks quite cosy, so of course he likes it. "Well, let's get healed first. Afterall, we both sustained some injuries after that brawl, & I don't wanna let Mommy know about what I did. She gets concerned & angry easily." says Jay, while imagining his Mommy's reaction if she finds out what he did.

Jay gets the first aid box, cleans his & Pichu's wounds, applies antiseptic & band-aids to his wounds, & uses potion on Pichu's wounds.

"Now we are good to go! Come on Pichu, let's play!" says Jay after completing the first aid. "Pi Pichu!" says Pichu, feeling better already. His life was very boring & full of struggles. He had no friends. But now, he made his first friend, & this boy is also quite kind & nice. He will finally get to play & enjoy!

* * *

As the time keeps flowing, & the sun sets, the duo finally gets tired. Back in their home, they are now resting on the couch, watching a Pokemon battle on the TV.

"They are cool, aren't they, Pichu?" asks Jay, clearly intrigued by the battle. "Pichu, Pi Pichu", replies Pichu, in an affirmative tone. The truth is, Jay always dreamt of being a Pokemon trainer. He always loved the idea of bonding with Pokemon, going on adventures, collecting those Gym badges, participating in the league, & winning it. If allowed, he would like to leave immediately, but again, there was this rule that you need to be atleast of 13 years for challenging the Gyms & participating in the league. Until then, all the kids must have to take education compulsorily, & then the aspiring Pokémon trainers can opt to be Pokémon trainers by appearing for a special test named PTQT (Pokemon Trainer Qualification Test). The ones who pass the test get the official permission to participate in the league. They also get a starter Pokemon & Pokédex from the regional professor, Miss Arya Sagwan. The ones who don't can either reappear for the test or participate in the league by paying the League Entry Fees, which is a huge amount that only the rich can afford. Oh, he hated those rules. Why can't Meluha keep simple rules like that of the other regions like Kanto? Is it because of the population of the region?

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a knock on the door. So Mommy's back.

"Oh no! How can I forgot it!" exclaims Jay suddenly, startling Pichu. "Pichu?" asks Pichu, clearly confused by his friend's reaction. "Quick Pichu, you need to hide! Mommy's back & she hates Pokémon!" says Jay, clearly fearing his Mommy's reaction when she will find that he brought a Pokemon home. "Pichu Pi Pi Pichu Pi Pichu?" asks Pichu. He still is confused by what is happening, but if his friend wants to play hide & seek, he needs to say it clearly.

Once again, the door is knocked, but more violently than the last time. "Just a minute!" shouts Jay, clearly panicking with the situation he was into. With no time to think, he picks up Pichu & hides him within his shirt. Pichu finds this baffling & uncomfortable & tries to struggle to break free from Jay's grip. Why is this nice boy behaving so weirdly?

Soon, Jay opens the door, just to find his Mommy standing there, with her hands on her hips, & a heated glare directed towards Jay. "What took you so much time? And why are you holding your stomach in that way?", asks Jay's Mommy, clearly not happy with waiting outside after such a strenuous day, & pointing out how Jay was weirdly holding his stomach with both his hands.

"Um, well, you see, my stomach is paining, &… I was in the toilet when you knocked the door", says Jay, trying to come up with an explanation. "What?! How did this happen? Let's get inside & see what we can do for it", says Jay's Mommy. Jay's Mommy walks into their home, & sits down on the couch. Jay, trying to stay out of her sight, locks the door, & starts moving towards his bedroom.

"Where are you going, Jay? Come here! Let me see what's wrong with your stomach!" says his Mommy. Jay gulps in fear. He will surely get caught this time. Quickly thinking about something to say, he says, "Well, I thought, if I take some rest, I might feel better" "Young man, you better come here & let me take a look at it", says his Mommy, in a commanding voice.

Jay sighs. He can't escape this time. So, he turns towards his Mommy & says, "I will be fine, Mommy, trust me." Just then, his stomach moves in a weird manner. "What was that? Jay, I seriously think we really need to go to a doctor", says Mommy, now clearly getting concerned. "I will be fine Mommy, we don't need a doctor! Just let me rest for some time!" says Jay, starting to sweat, & panicking internally that he won't be able to put up his act any longer.

Inside Jay's shirt, Pichu is clearly getting uncomfortable & frightened. What happened suddenly to this nice boy? Why is he acting like that? So he tries to break free from Jay's grip, but manages to get only his mouth free. He again tries to struggle, but fails to get out of the boy's tight grip. Pichu can't take it anymore. He truly hates getting restrained. So, as a last resort, he bites on Jay's arm.

"Aaah!" Jay shouts in pain. He falls down onto his knees, as he tries to cope with the pain from the bite. Jay's Mommy now gets more concerned. She immediately rushes towards Jay & kneels down, so that she can face Jay. "Are you okay, Jay? Come on, let me see what's wrong with you, or let's go to the doctor!" says Mommy. "No Mommy, I am fine!" Jay shouts literally, as he clearly begins to panic, which is visible from the outside. In his panic, he presses his stomach very harshly, which hurts Pichu, & makes him shout "PIII!" loudly.

"Pi? Your stomach made a weird sound just now!" says Mommy, now starting to get suspicious of her son's behavior. "No Mommy, it didn't! Probably some bird Pokémon like Pidgey or Pidove made it!" says Jay, now sweating even more profusely, & totally shivering in fear. He can't let his Mommy know he brought a Pokemon inside the house. "That's not possible, Jay! It's night time, & bird Pokémon sleep at this time! You are clearly hiding something from me, Jay. Tell me the truth. Why are you acting so weirdly today? And what was that 'Pi' sound? Where did it come from?" asks Mommy, getting more and more suspicious of her son's behavior with every passing second.

Now Jay is in danger. His Mommy's now suspicious. He needs to think something quickly. "I am totally normal, Mommy. I just have this stomach ache. Nothing else. And that 'Pi' sound, maybe a stray Pikachu made that, I don't know", says Jay, trying his best to sound natural & trying his best not to get caught. "Last time that I remember, I made sure that there were no Rodents in the house. How come then a Pikachu got inside the house?" asks Mommy, now getting more suspicious. Jay is now completely covered in sweat. He knows he can't continue his lie anymore. But still, he tries to think of something. But, he fails to do so. So, he just shrugs it off by saying, "How would I know?"

Pichu is now getting annoyed. Maybe he judged this boy too quickly. He too betrayed him, like the others. Now he will pay for it. In anger, Pichu releases a _**Thundershock**_, zapping Jay.

"AAAAAAH!" shouts Jay, as he gets zapped. He soon falls on the floor with an audible thud. Now lying on the floor, completely immobile, his grip loosens, which lets Pichu to get out of his shirt.

Jay's Mommy gets shocked (not literally, & pun obviously not intended) & is completely dumbfounded with what just happened. A few moments later, she sees a Pichu emerge out of her son's shirt. As soon as Pichu sticks out his face out of the shirt, his eyes meet with the eyes of Jay's Mommy. Pichu & Jay's Mommy stare in each other's eyes. Jay's Mommy blinks twice, just to confirm what she was seeing was real.

"AAAAAAH! IT'S A MOUSE! IT'S A MOUSE! IT'S A MOUSE!" she shouts, clearly frightened & panicking at the sight of the tiny mouse Pokemon. In a panicked state, she runs out of the house, neglecting the fact that she literally broke the door's lock.

"Pi?" says Pichu, as he stares in the direction where the boy's Mommy ran. Why did she run away? Did she see any ghost Pokemon? These humans are so weird! Confused with what was happening, he turns towards Jay, who is still lying on the floor. Few memories from earlier in the day flash in front of Pichu's eyes. Slowly, he begins to feel the guilt of what he just did. This boy has been so nice to him, he gave him berries to eat, he tended to his wounds, he played with him, he even said he wanted to be friends with him; but now, he zaps him just because he was trying to hide him from his Mommy, who fears Mice. Slowly, he walks towards Jay, & starts licking his face, as a way to say him sorry.

As he licks his face, Jay starts to get his consciousness back. He slowly opens his eyes, & sees Pichu licking his face. "Hey Pichu, it's okay. I am fine. Sorry for hiding you like that", says Jay, weakly. "Pi Pichu, Pi Pi Pichu", says Pichu, sounding as if he was feeling guilty of what he did. "Don't worry Pichu, it's okay. You see, my Mommy hates Pokemon. She freaks out whenever she sees one, especially if it is in the house. Which is why I tried to hide you", says Jay, as he gets up. He dusts off his clothes & says, "Come on, we need to search for Mommy & explain her everything". "Pi Pichu", replies Pichu, sounding affirmative, yet not thrilled by the idea to do so. Pichu jumps onto Jay's shoulder, & they set off to search for Jay's Mommy.

* * *

Jay's Mommy was running for some time by now. With no direction in her mind, she just set off into a random direction. Why does Jay have to bring a rodent into the house? Doesn't he know that his Mommy hates rodents & bugs?! Why did he pull off such a prank?

With paying no attention with where she was going, she suddenly bumps into someone. "I am sorry!" she says, without looking at the person who she bumped into. That person immediately catches her & pulls her closer.

"What's wrong with you, Aarti? Where are you going? And why are you panicking?" asks that person, clearly knowing who Jay's Mommy was. "Oh, it's you, Darshan", says Aarti, finally noticing who the person was. She immediately hugs him & breaks down. "I am sorry Darshan, I am really a bad mother", says Aarti, while she cries on his chest. Darshan tightens his grip around Aarti & comforts her. "Stop crying Aarti, & tell me what happened", says Darshan.

Aarti slowly stops crying & starts explaining what happened back at home. "Jay brought a Pichu home, & that rodent zapped him. I was so scared of that rodent that I ran away from the home, leaving Jay alone with that pesky rodent. I am really a bad Mother, Darshan, I am sorry. I shouldn't have left him alone with that mouse". After listening to what Aarti said, Darshan sighs. Guess she will never get over her fear & hatred of rodents & bugs.

"Calm down, Aarti. Let's go home. Let's sit & talk with Jay about it", says Darshan.

As soon as the duo turns around to head back home, they see Jay running towards them. "Mommy! Are you okay?!" shouts Jay, as he closes the distance between him & his Mommy. Aarti immediately leaves Darshan & hugs her son, ignoring the fact that Pichu is on her son's shoulder. Pichu immediately jumps off his shoulder as to not get crushed by the hug.

"I am so sorry Jay. I shouldn't run away like that... I should never do it. I am truly a bad Mommy", says Aarti, her eyes still wet with tears. "No Mommy, you aren't bad at all. You are the best Mommy in the world! I am actually a bad boy. I shouldn't have brought Pichu home, knowing that you hate Pokemon, & especially bringing them in the house", says Jay, again showing how mature he was for his age. "No Jay, you're the best son of the best Mommy. Come on, let's go home", says Aarti.

Aarti slowly stands up, & they all start walking towards their home. After a while, they reach their home, only to find that the door was not locked. "Hey champ, why didn't you lock the door?" asks Darshan, directing the question towards Jay. "Well Daddy, Mommy broke the lock when she ran out of the house", says Jay, finally speaking with his Daddy. "Oh, that's cool! We didn't know your Mommy knew _**Superpower**_!" says Darshan, while winking at his wife. "Oh, you don't say. You know _**Superpower **_better than me", says Aarti, winking back at her husband. "Will you teach me that, daddy?" asks Jay, curious about what kind of _**Superpower**_ his parents are talking about, as only Pokemon can use that move. This question makes his parents blush & giggle. "You need to figure that out yourself, son", says Darshan, still blushing a bit, while looking lovingly towards his wife. His wife too stares back lovingly into his eyes.

Jay is getting uncomfortable with this show of love. While he does like to see his parents love each other, they should not do it in front of him, at least until they have their dinner. They all are hungry after such a long & exhausting day. "Come on Mommy & Daddy, we still need to have the dinner! You can get lovey-dovey later!" says Jay, now that his hunger has become uncontrollable. His parents blush again. Guess their son is not oblivious to such stuff. "I will go & setup the dinner", says Aarti, as she rushes towards the kitchen at an awkward pace. "I will go get refreshed", says Darshan, as he walks towards his bedroom. Once again, Jay is now left with Pichu.

"Come on Pichu, let's watch some more battles until then", says Jay. "Pichu Pi!" says Pichu, sounding affirmative & excited at the prospect. Jay turns on the TV, & tunes into his favorite battle channel for watching some more battles.

After sometime, all of them are in the dining room, waiting for their dinner. Jay is sitting on the left side of the rectangular table, with Pichu sitting on the table. Jay's Mommy has cooked some tasty, traditional, Meluhan 'cooked veggies', known as _Sabji. _There's also some Meluhan bread (aka wheat tortillas), rice, & Meluhan Curry. "Okay everyone, let's start the dinner!" says Aarti, as she brings in a hotpot of steaming rice, & places it on the table. "Yay!" says Jay in a cheerful manner. Today's _Sabji _was his favorite. He can't wait to have dinner with Pichu!

"Jay, before you start eating, I want that rodent out of the house", says Aarti, with her hands on her hips, unhappy with the fact that the tiny mouse Pokemon was still in the house. "Pi?" asks Pichu, looking towards Jay's Mommy. Now what did he do? "But Mommy, Pichu is really nice! He even played with me today!" says Jay, protesting against his Mommy's decision. "Jay, you know that I don't like rodents & bugs, right? So I don't want him in the house. Send that Pichu out of the house." commands Aarti.

"But Mommy, Pichu will not create any mess or fuss. I promise he will behave properly! Right Pichu?" says Jay, directing the final part towards Pichu. "Pi Pichu!" says Pichu, sounding affirmative. "Fine. He will eat dinner today with us, but then, you will send him back", says Aarti, still adamant on her actual decision to keep rodents & bugs out of her house. "But Mommy! He won't trouble you! Daddy, please say something!" says Jay, trying to get help from his Daddy, who is listening the conversation silently.

"Oh Aarti," Darshan starts to explain, but Aarti cuts him off with a "Yes?!" powered by an evil grin & a sinister look. Darshan knows this look of his wife. This is a signal for him to shut up, or he will pay. "Um… Nothing", says Darshan, & he silently begins to eat his lunch again. No smart man argues with an angry & a determined woman. It is better to keep his mouth shut in such situations.

Jay understands that he won't get help from his Daddy, who himself is helpless. So he tries to argue with her Mommy. "But Mommy!" says Jay, as he tries to argue with her, but Aarti immediately retaliates, "Either your Mommy lives here, or this rodent. Who do you want? Your Mommy or This Mouse?"

Jay is now in a rock hard situation. His Mommy always plays this emotional card in such situations. He now has no option but to accept his Mommy's decision. "Okay Mommy", replies Jay. "I will send him back". "Good, now let's start the dinner!" says Aarti.

"I am sorry, Pichu", says Jay, as he starts his dinner. "Pichu Pi, Pi Pi Pichu Chu", says Pichu, agreeing with him, but sad that he won't be able to live with his friend. Pichu soon starts his dinner.

* * *

Soon, after the dinner is over, Aarti picks up all the utensils, & takes them for washing. But before she can start the washing, she instructs Jay to send Pichu back, & orders Darshan to make sure that Jay actually gets them rid of that rodent. So, the Father-son duo sets off to send back Pichu, while Aarti starts to wash the utensils.

"So, where is this Pichu's home?" asks Darshan to his son. They are walking down the apartment stairs, with Pichu riding Jay's shoulder. "I don't know, Daddy. Hey Pichu, where's your home?" asks Jay unenthusiastically. He still is sad with the fact that Pichu needs to go away. "Pi Pichu Pichu Pi", says Pichu, trying to say them that he doesn't have one.

"I don't understand what he is saying", says Darshan. "Do you get that?" "Yes, I mean sort-of. Maybe he is trying to say that he doesn't have one, right Pichu?" says Jay, almost figuring out what Pichu said. "Pichu", nods Pichu, but in a sad tone. "Hmm… So this little guy doesn't have a home… What if we find him a nice one? What do you say about that?" suggests Darshan.

"But why can't Pichu stay with us? Why does Mommy hate Pokémon?" asks Jay, sad & angry with the fact that his Mommy hates Pokemon. "No Jay, she actually doesn't hate Pokemon. She only hates Bugs & Rodents, as they cause the most mess in a house. She has no problem with Pokemon, infact, she loves them! Do you know what type of Pokemon are her favourite?" says Darshan, trying to explain his son that his Mommy doesn't hate all Pokemon. "I don't know, I thought Mommy always hated Pokemon", says Jay, not believing that his Mommy loves Pokemon.

"Your Mommy loves Water-type Pokemon. You know, we first met in the Marina City Aquarium, while we both were teenagers. Her favorite Pokemon is Luvdisc. She was staring at the Luvdisc with awe, when suddenly the Luvdisc began to surround her. She got more excited & turned around, only to see me, standing beside her. The Luvdisc were trying to surround both of us. And do you know what that means?" says Darshan, remembering the good old days. "That you were blessed with eternal love", says Jay, now feeling somewhat better after hearing such a sweet story. So, his Mommy does love Pokemon. Well not all of them, but still she does love Pokemon, & it's a great thing.

"Yes. You do know stuff, champ!" says Darshan, while moving his hands through his son's soft, raven hair, messing them up. "Come on; now let's find this little guy a cozy home nearby, so that you can meet him everyday!"

The Father-son duo starts searching around their apartmental area for a place which would be safe & cosy for Pichu. After looking for a short while, they find a Mago Berry Tree, (Not the same one as before) with a hollow space at the base of the tree. "This sure looks like a good place. What do you say Pichu?" asks Darshan, directing the question towards the tiny mouse Pokemon in concern. "Pichu, Pi Pi Pichu!" says Pichu. Although not good as a standard home, it is still better than sewers & garbage dumps.

"So Pichu, take care. I promise to come here every evening after my school, so that we can play!" says Jay, not sad anymore. "Pi Pi Pichu", says Pichu, sounding positive. He is fine, as long as his friend comes to play with him. Jay sets Pichu down. Pichu stares back at his only friend. Guess this is good bye for now.

"Good night, Pichu! Bye!" says Jay, happy, but not wanting to leave Pichu. "Pi Pichu", says Pichu, with a hint of sadness that his friend has to leave. Darshan understands the situation, but now Jay needs to sleep. So sadly, he has to break them apart for now.

"Come on Jay, let's get going. You still need to go to school tomorrow, & you need to sleep." says Darshan to his son. "Bye Pichu", Jay mutters in a low voice, as he turns around & starts walking back towards his home, with his father. Pichu watches them, as they slowly get out of his sight. Pichu sighs. Guess he has to wait till tomorrow. He slowly turns towards the Tree trunk, & slides into his new home.

* * *

A new day rises over the majestic Marina City. The tender sunlight from a rising sun gets reflected from the sea's watery surface, giving it a reddish golden tint. The bird Pokémon are starting to wake up, getting ready for a new day. A few kilometers inland, away from the sea, we find a certain Raven haired boy getting ready for his school, already awake before the sunrise.

"Jay, your tiffin's ready!" says a female voice, apparently of Jay's mother, Aarti. "Yes Mommy!" replies Jay, as he sets his tie neatly on his uniform. Soon, Jay walks out of his bedroom, & heads towards the kitchen. He finds his tiffin packed on the dining table, while his Mommy continues her daily chores. Jay picks up his tiffin & puts it in his backpack. After placing the tiffin neatly in the bag, Jay takes a look around the house & notices that something or someone (to be exact), is missing.

"Hey Mommy, where's Daddy?" asks Jay, after finding out that his Daddy was not in the house. "Oh, he actually left early today. You see, his workload has increased recently. There are a lot of guests coming in the resort nowadays", replies Aarti in a slightly sad tone. "Oh, okay." responds Jay, also in a sad tone. Jay knows his Daddy works really hard so that they don't have a shortage of money, but he also wishes that he could spend some time with his Daddy.

Aarti notices the sadness in her son's voice. She leaves the kitchen with her own tiffin & enters the dining hall. "Don't be sad, Jay. You know Daddy loves you. He is doing all this hard work so that there is no shortage for you in the future", says Aarti, as she packs her tiffin.

Jay nods in approval. He knows how much his parents work so that he can have a good future. He knows how much his parents sacrifice for him. He truly wants to pay them back for what they are doing for him. He wants to give them every comfort available in this world. And for that, he will study. He will fight against all the odds. He will succeed. He will win. But for now, he needs to go to the school.

"Mommy, when will you return today?" asks Jay out of nowhere. "As soon as I finish my work at the mansion, I will return back. I won't take more time than yesterday", replies Aarti with a slight smile, as she picks up her handbag & tiffin.

Jay tries to remember the time he went to see the mansion where his Mommy works. It was beautiful & huge. He still remembers the day when he said his Mommy that one day; he will buy a mansion just like that for his Mommy & Daddy, where they will live peacefully forever. "Sure. You will! You will make us proud one day!" was what his Mommy replied to him while chuckling.

"Okay Jay, time to go. Goodbye sweetie!" says Aarti, as she leans in & gives a hug & a slight kiss to her son on his cheek, breaking his train of thoughts. "Goodbye Mommy", says Jay, as he hugs his Mommy in return. Soon, they break apart, & Jay watches his Mommy as she leaves.

"Crown Resort & Altaria Mansion, they are famous across the globe. I too wish to become famous", says Jay to no one in particular. He picks up his backpack, takes a look at the clock, & leaves for his school.

* * *

As the time flows, & the sun starts scorching the land with its afternoon heat, Pichu waits for his friend to return. He waits for him by resting in the cool shadow of the Mago Berry Tree. His friend promised to play with him. The day till now was quite boring for Pichu. All he did was to stare at the flying Pidgeys & Pidoves, which flew in the open sky, among the cottony, white clouds. Atleast he can now enjoy the open sky, the clouds, & the shade of a berry tree. Previously, all he knew was fear for survival, the rotten smell of garbage piles, & the darkness of the sewers. He was safe now. He was happy. But still, the happiness lacked something. It lacked the assurance of his well being.

Pichu sighs. Guess he would never get the assurance of his well being. Pichu keeps staring at the sky, his eyesight following the fearless & tension-free clouds, as they slowly keep moving ahead.

After a few minutes, Pichu's ear twitches. Maybe he heard a familiar voice. He gets up & turns towards the direction of the voice. After seeing who was coming towards him, he slowly begins to grin with joy. He immediately starts running towards the person, who is none other than Jay, his only friend.

"Pichu! I am back!" shouts Jay, as he keeps running towards Pichu. Soon, they close the gap between them, & Pichu jumps into Jay's arms & snuggles into his chest, as Pichu tries to hug him. Jay returns the hug & says, "Yeah Pichu, I missed you too! See, I am back as I promised! Come on buddy, let's play!" "Pi Pichu!" replies Pichu enthusiastically. They break the hug soon, & Jay sets Pichu down. "Let's race till the playground!" suggests Jay, as he takes his position. "Pi, Pichu Pi Pi!" says Pichu, taking position, & putting on a determined face. "Ready? Let's go!" shouts Jay, & the two friends break into a sprint towards the playground.

As the time passes by, & the sun starts to set, we find the BFFs in Jay's home once again, sitting on the couch, & watching some Pokemon battles on the TV. They both are enjoying watching the battles. But soon, it got interrupted by an Ad break. "Aw man, that match was getting interesting! That Ash guy & his Pikachu look amazing! They're quite powerful, aren't they Pichu?" says Jay, frustrated by the Ad break, & directing the last part towards Pichu.

"Pi Pichu", replies Pichu, sounding affirmative. Pichu always wanted to get stronger. He wanted to be a strong Pokemon, just like his Mommy. Truth to be said, he was actually imagining himself & Jay in the place of that another boy & his Pikachu. Oh, he will always remember the day when they will battle together in a Pokemon battle!

Suddenly, Jay hears something & turns towards the TV. It is an Ad of the Crown Resort, the best resort in the entire Meluha region. The resort where his Daddy works. Looks like the resort is offering 25% off on their services. Well, that explains the increased workload of his Daddy.

"Pi?" asks Pichu, not understanding why Jay is so interested in an Ad. "Oh, it's the Ad of the Crown Resort. My Daddy works as a housekeeper there. It's a very beautiful & huge resort, located on the beach near the Gateway of Meluha. It's based on the Crown Palace of the Amora City, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I once visited that resort. It's quite regal but very expensive", replies Jay, getting the gist of what Pichu was asking about.

"Pichu", nods Pichu. He has heard about that place from the Pidoves. Generally, most of the Pidoves flock near the Gateway of Meluha as that place has tons of tourists which offer them food. Pichu never visited that place, but the Pidoves describe it as a heavenly place for them. Guess free food is heaven for Pidoves.

Pichu's train of thoughts lead him to Jay's Mommy. If Jay's Daddy works in the resort, then where does she work? Wanting answer for his question, Pichu tugs to Jay's shirt. "Yes Pichu?" asks Jay. "Pichu Pi Pichu Chu?" asks Pichu, while pointing towards the TV & a framed family photo of Jay & his parents on the wall.

"So you are trying to ask that is my Mommy with my Daddy in the resort?" asks Jay, not exactly getting what Pichu was trying to say. Pichu thinks for a second & gives an affirmative "Pi". Guess that will do for now.

"Oh, actually she isn't with him. She works at a different place. A mansion, in particular. Altaria Mansion is the largest & the most expensive personal Mansion in the entire world. My Mommy works there as a housekeeper, too. It's located on the Marina Beach. I still don't understand why a family of four needs such a big house. Like REALLY, how do they manage to find something if something small gets lost? But yeah, it does suit the owners of LIVO Tech. They are super rich", responds Jay. Just then, the Ad changes, & by a mere coincidence, the Ad is of the newest device launched by LIVO Tech. The device is a LIVODex, the best & effectively FREE information & communication Dex for Pokémon trainers.

"Pichu Pi?" asks Pichu, pointing towards the TV, intrigued by the word free. "Oh, that is LIVODex, an improvised version of Pokédex. We can use it to contact with friends, search information on the Pokénet, & as a Pokédex, if we have a Trainer Lisence. We can also listen to music, watch videos, & play games on it. But the most important thing is it's effectively free, unlike the other dexes, & has quite more functionality. I wish I had one, but they let only people with the trainer's licence to buy that", responds Jay.

Jay always wondered how much LIVO Tech has changed & revolutionized the lives of the Meluhans. LIVO Tech is the biggest Tech Company of Meluha. It disturbed the entire telecommunications market by introducing dirt cheap data plans, making Meluha the highest data consuming region, & effectively the region with most Pokenet users. The company manufactures many devices required for Pokemon trainers, like LIVODex, Pokéballs, etc. Also, the owners of the company are philanthropists. Overall, they are doing a great job.

Soon, the Ad break was over, & the Match resumed. It was between the Ash guy & a girl named Macey. This Silver Conference surely caught eyeballs across the world, thanks to the splendid performance of strong & terrific Pokémon & their trainers. That Harrison guy, the Oak grandson, & Ash so far performed incredibly well. Jay surely was cheering for Ash, as he & his Pikachu caught his interest.

As the match continued, & so did the never stopping flow of time, soon, it was the time for Aarti to return home. Jay & Pichu were happy that Ash won that match. He & his Pikachu can surely be great role models for them. Jay left Pichu back near the Mago Berry Tree & waved him goodbye. Pichu too bid him farewell, & slid into his new home. Today was a great day. The BFFs played & enjoyed a lot today. Surely they will do this everyday, until they leave on their journey; the journey to be the best, like no one ever was.

* * *

_Three Months After Jay Met Pichu…_

It's been roughly two months since Jay met Pichu. Ever since the day they met, Jay & Pichu constantly spent time with each other as much as they can. They were now quite inseparable. But even if everything was fine now, one thing still bugged Pichu. That was, the assurance of his well-being. There was no proper guarantee of him being safe. He can get attacked anytime. He can get injured by some rowdy boys again. Heck, he can die in an accident just like his Mommy. For him, the assurance of his well-being is the happiness he was searching for. But, he still hasn't got it, yet.

The sky was full with clouds & it was raining heavily, that day. It was the indication that the rainy season has begun. But the Meluhans prefer to call it _Monsoon_. Legends state that _Monsoon_ is caused by Indragon, the legendary Monsoon Pokémon, & the protector of the Meluha region. The legends state that Indragon sleeps for eight months, during winter & summer. But when it wakes up, it starts flying across the region to survey it, & while doing so, it brings rains to the region. Meluha, being an agriculture-focused region, mostly depends on such rains for water. This obtained rainwater is mainly utilised for crop production. After surveying the large region, which requires approximately four months, Indragon returns to its home, an unknown place somewhere in Meluha, & rests again for eight months.

Pichu was doing what he did the best. That is, he was staring at the sky, observing the moving thick clouds, while they pour heavy rain on the majestic Marina City. He has never been through this season, & looking at the dark sky reminds him of his past, where he spent his time in those gloomy & dark sewers of Meluha. So practically, he is a bit scared of the sight of the sky. Even if he doesn't want to remember those dark days, the dark & cloudy sky still reminds him of his dark past.

Pichu sighs. He needs to get over his dark past, enjoy his happy present, & plan for a bright future. Ugh, why can't Jay return earlier? Being with him will help him forget these stupid things. Hope so he returns back soon. As he continued watching the dark raining clouds, suddenly, his view got obscured by a rather intimidating Pokémon. An Ekans. A lightning crackles at the same time, giving the snake Pokémon a menacing look.

As soon as he looked at the Ekans, he jumped out of fear & tried to run away, only to find that he was cornered against the Mago Berry Tree. Fear started rising within his mind, as he waited for the next move of the intimidating snake.

"Good Job, Ekans", called out a familiar voice. Pichu turns in the direction of the voice, just to find a boy standing beside the Mago Berry Tree. Slowly, the boy comes out of his hiding to reveal himself. He was no one other than Neil. Lighting crackles at the same time, lighting up Neil's face.

"Good to see you, pathetic rodent", spits out Neil, with pure hatred. "How's life been? Well, maybe great for you, afterall you are safe here. You also get to eat those Mago Berries, that's even better. But this is where it ends today. From that day, I have been living under the weight of defeat & humiliation. Even my friends left me because I lost to a pathetic rodent like you. Now it's payback time!" threatens Neil. Neil then turns towards Ekans & pets him.

"See this guy here? Meet my friend, Ekans. He has been craving for Pokémon flesh since last few days. Ever since he ate an entire family of Rattatas those few days ago, he has got a wish to taste more of that flesh, because he terms it to be a delicacy. So, I promised to treat him with the plumpest, the tastiest, & the healthiest rodent in the area, which is none other than you! So let your pathetic life serve a purpose. Let yourself get eaten by this tough & strong Ekans!" says Neil maniacally, while petting his intimidating snake friend.

FLASHBACK – A FEW DAYS AGO

A family of Rattata was living a peaceful life. Daddy Rattata used to go on scavenging, Mommy Rattata used to feed the kids & take care of them, & the Rattata kids used to eat, sleep, play & enjoy their life. Life in the sewers was not so bad, afterall. At least for the Rattatas.

One day, while the Rodent family was busy with their daily jobs, a certain snake Pokémon, with toxic green colored body, light yellow colored slithery (bottom) part, & a golden stripe near the head, spotted this Rattata family. They looked quite healthy & tasty to the snake Pokémon, so he decided to make them his next target. Oh, he never gets bored of the tasty Pokémon flesh! So, without thinking twice, he decided to attack the rodent family. Oh, they are going to be a nice snack for the snake!

The Meluhan Ekans slithered near the Rattatas, & was just about to attack them, when suddenly out of nowhere; he got attacked in the back of his head. The snake Pokémon fell to the ground, alerting the family. He tried to look into the direction of the attacker, only to receive a nice _**Hyper Fang**_ right on his face. Ekans hissed in pain. Who's that Pokémon attacking him? The rodent family looked towards their saviour, only to find Daddy Rattata standing there. The rodent kids squeaked happily & cheered for their superhero, as their Daddy continued assaulting the Ekans with powerful _**Hyper Fangs **_to the point that the snake Pokémon almost fainted. Then, with a last _**Double-Edge**_, he sent that literally bloody snake flying away, out of the slightly underground sewer. The kids jumped happily & hugged their Daddy. Who needs other superheroes when they have got the RATVERINE!

After staying in the air for a few seconds, the snake Pokémon finally landed on the land. Well, not technically on the land, he actually landed in a trash can, but still, the point is, and he landed & is still alive & has not fainted yet. Coming back to senses slowly, he observes his surroundings. He finds himself in a trash can, on a narrow, dark street. Guess today wasn't his day.

"You did a great job there", says a familiar voice. Ekans turns around & finds a human kid covered in shadows, standing near the trash can with his hands folded. Ekans hisses in a menacing tone. What does this human mean by a great job? He got beaten up so badly by his prey! Did this human just use _**Taunt**_?

"Now you may be wondering what am I doing here, & why I am congratulating you on your failure. Well, you see, I was observing you for quite a time, & I must say that you are quite tough, considering that you still haven't fainted even after receiving so many _**Hyper Fangs **_& a _**Double-Edge**_. You have what it takes to be a great Pokémon. All you need is a little help & guidance. Together, we can defeat anyone. With your brute strength & my strategy, we can become invincible. So, will you allow me to help you? Wanna be friends & get stronger?" offers the boy.

Ekans tries to process this information. He has always been a loner, doing all his hunting alone. Having a few friends would make his job easier. But this human just popped out of nowhere & is offering to help. It is quite suspicious, isn't it? He can't completely trust this human. This human needs to prove himself.

Ekans hisses, as if trying to say something, & points towards the sewer with his head.

"So, you want to say that if I help you get those Rattatas, we can become partners; right?" asks the boy, trying to figure out what the snake Pokémon was trying to say. Ekans nods, signalling that he got it right. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sure, I will help you get your snack & revenge, tough snake", says the boy, finally revealing himself to be Neil, as he steps out of the shadows.

Ekans hisses in acceptance, & the human-Pokémon duo put up an evil grin on their faces, while looking at the sewer.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"There won't be any interruptions today. Even Jay won't come to save you this time! He is stuck in the school because of the rains, & he travels by the school bus, while I travel in my Dad's car! So I got home quite early today, & decided not to waste such a golden opportunity to teach you a lesson, as there won't be any security guard here today because of the rains! Now get ready to be a tasty snack!" says Neil, in a maniac's tone.

Pichu now started to cower in fear. There was no way he can beat or defend himself against that intimidating snake Pokémon alone. Oh Arceus, please send Jay & his school bus faster!

Slowly but surely, Ekans starts to slither towards Pichu, so as to close the distance between them. Pichu now starts panicking. This is his end. He won't get away this time. He can't even hide inside his Tree house, because that Snake Pokémon can easily sneak in. Even Jay isn't here to help him this time. Out of sheer terror, Pichu stopped moving & closed his eyes, waiting for his apparent death.

Ekans hisses menacingly, opens his jaws, & springs in Pichu's direction, with a pure intent to eat him. That hiss cleared any remaining doubts of Pichu, as he waited for his death. Finally, he can meet his Mommy again & rest in peace with her.

But it never came.

Soon he opened his eyes, to check what has happened, only to find the sadistic human-Pokémon duo looking at him menacingly. Suddenly, Neil bursts into laughter, while Ekans hisses the equivalent of a laugh, while chewing on a Mago Berry.

"Look at that rodent! Look at that rodent!" says Neil between his laughs, "See how terrified he was! That's the best terrified face I have ever seen!" Neil finally stops laughing. "That shows how weak & pathetic you truly are", Neil continues, with a smug look on his face. "You really thought I will let Ekans eat you that easily?! No way! Ekans will first poison you, and then he will _**Wrap**_ himself around you, & squeeze you till all of your bones crack, & then eat you slowly, one part at a time! Doesn't that sound cool! A brutal death to a pathetic rodent, suits you perfectly! Oh, I will love all those screams you gonna make while Ekans enjoys his snack!" says Neil, now speaking purely like a maniac.

Pichu stares in horror at the duo. What's wrong with these guys? Why do they want to torcher & trouble him so much? What did he ever do to them? Is it because what happened that day? Because of such a trivial thing?

"Start your work, Ekans", says Neil emotionlessly.

Ekans grins evilly. He can now finally eat this plump, tasty looking mouse in the best way possible. Ekans opens his mouth & shoots dozens of _**Poison Stings **_on Pichu. Pichu, with nowhere to run, takes the entire brunt of the attack, head-on. The lightning crackles again, lighting up the scene. He slumps onto the ground, as the poison starts taking effect.

Pichu is now in pain from the poison. Slowly but surely, it is reducing his health. He needs to do something, or this will be his end. Suddenly, he remembers about his surroundings. He actually lives under a Mago Berry Tree! He needs to get to those berries! That's it! But first, he needs to create a distraction. Can his _**Charm **_work here? What does it take to try?!

Pichu uses _**Charm**_ on the snake Pokémon. Ekans suddenly feels his attack power getting lower, while Pichu feels his defence power getting stronger. (Charm lowers foe's Attack stat by two stages, & increases user's Defence stat by one stage.) Guess his Charm worked! The distraction caused was enough for him to climb up the tree. The attack's distraction caused Ekans to lose his concentration, & a dumbfounded Neil to look at Ekans.

"Ekans, come on, climb up the tree & finish that bloody rodent!" shouts Neil, angry with the fact that a pathetic rodent outsmarted him. Ekans accepts the order, & starts climbing the tree, only to fail because of his slithery body. While the snake Pokémon tries to slither up the tree, Pichu starts gobbling up any berries he finds, restoring his health as fast as possible.

"Ekans, stop. Use _**Wrap**_ on the tree, & then climb up slowly", commands Neil. Ekans stops trying & does as ordered. He _**wraps**_ himself around the tree & starts climbing up the tree in a spiral form, while still maintaining his grip around the tree.

Pichu somehow manages to regain his health by eating the berries. Now energized, he starts thinking on what he should do to get away from these bullies. His best bet is now on using _**Thundershock**_ on both of them & getting away. The lightning crackles again, giving the snake Pokémon a menacing look.

Ekans slowly but surely reaches the branch where Pichu was sitting. He starts slithering in the direction of the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. Pichu sees Ekans closing the gap between them. Finding this as a great opportunity to zap the snake, Pichu unleashes a _**Thundershock**_, powered by the effects of the weather. The _**Thundershock**_ makes contact with the snake Pokémon. When Pichu opens his eyes to see the effects of his attack, he gets the shock of his life.

Ekans is completely unfazed, as if he is a ground type Pokémon.

Pichu's _**Thundershock **_did not have any effect on the Snake. The lightning crackles again, lighting up the face of a surprised & horrified Pichu.

Even if his **Thundershock** did nothing to Ekans, it did burn the branch of the tree though, making it weak. If Ekans tries to move any further, the branch will break, & both the Pokémon will fall down, on the rain-soaked ground.

Ekans, knowing what will happen if he slides any further, deliberately slides ahead, breaking the branch. The two Pokémon start falling down. The lightning crackles again, lighting up the scene.

Both the Pokémon hit the ground. Both get equally hurt; Pichu due to the Poison & Ekans due to his fall. Slowly, the Pokémon get up, with their backs facing each other. Both are panting heavily. But they have different intensions. Pichu has the intension to run away towards safety, while Ekans has the intension to attack Pichu. Lightning crackles once again.

With the crack of the lightning, Pichu immediately tries to run away, but only to get hit by _**Poison Stings **_by the now-turned Ekans. Pichu once again falls on the ground, as more poison seeps into his body. Lightning crackles once again, lighting up Ekans' face, giving him a menacing look once again.

Ekans grins evilly. Looks like his prey is finally down. Guess its snack time.

Neil was silently enjoying this whole Prey-Predator fight. But, it was the time to finish it for once & forever, because the rain was slowing down. He doesn't want to get caught while doing such stuff. So, he shouts, "Ekans! The rain's slowing down! Finish him already!"

Ekans hears his partner & sighs. Guess he would have to eat his food in a single piece this time. Ekans coils himself, preparing to directly lunge at the poisoned tiny mouse Pokémon. He plans to use the momentum & the spring force generated by his body to directly jump at his prey. Ekans prepares himself to jump at Pichu. Lightning crackles once again.

At the crack of lightning, Pichu turns around. Ekans jumps. Lightning lights the sky. Everything seems to happen in slow motion. Pichu stares in horror at the snake Pokémon. This is it. This is truly his end. Guess he would never find the happiness he was searching for. Guess he will get his happiness when he finally meets his Mommy again. Mommy, I am coming, is what one can see, written on his face.

But fate doesn't want him to meet her that soon.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jay jumps in front of Pichu, in a bid to protect him from the incoming attack. Pichu & Neil get surprised by his sudden appearance, while Ekans gets no time to stop himself, & he unintentionally _**Bites**_ Jay on his left arm.

"AAAAAAH!" shouts Jay, as he takes the brunt of the attack. Lightning crackles once again, lighting up Jay's pained face & body. Looks like he is wearing his school uniform & his backpack, which means he just arrived back from the school.

"PIIIIII!" shouts Pichu out of shock. Did he? Did he just take an attack of Pokémon? Just to save him? Did he just do that?!

As it happens in a slow motion, Jay slowly falls on the ground, with Ekans still attached to his left arm. Water & mud splashes around, as Jay hits the ground. Lightning crackles once again, lighting up the scene & Jay's now dirty uniform.

"AAAH!" Jay screams in pain once again. His arm now started to pain due to the _**Bite**_ of Ekans. To get rid of the pain, he immediately grabs Ekans' tail with his right hand, pulls the snake Pokémon with full strength, & flings it away. By pure coincidence, the snake Pokémon crashes into Neil, who was still confused about what just happened. The abusive duo fall on the ground due to the momentum generated by the throw, knocking them out.

Jay clutches his right hand to his left arm, so as too soothe the pain from the _**Bite**_. He can feel his arm & sleeve getting wet with his blood, as it slowly oozes out of the wound, caused by the _**Bite**_. But he decides to ignore it. He tries to get up, but stumbles & falls back on the ground. His arm is not in condition to help him get up.

Seeing him struggle finally breaks Pichu from his trance. He immediately runs towards him & stops near his face. Seeing Pichu near him, Jay musters all his remaining energy to put up a smile & to say, "Sorry Pichu, I didn't come on time. I failed you. But hey, don't worry. I would be there for you next time, okay?! It's a promise!" "Pichu", replies Pichu, touched by his friend's words.

Pichu stares at Jay's face, processing what he just said. His eyes swell with tears immediately after he understood what he said. Why Jay? Why did he save him? Why did he take an attack of a poisonous Pokémon just to save a pathetic rodent like him, who can't even fight for himself? Is it because… Is it truly because he cares about him? Does he care about him so much that he will take such a grave risk?

"Hey buddy, everything's gonna be fine now. You don't need to fear anyone anymore. I will always be there for you, forever, till the very end. Remember, we are best friends, right? That's what friends are for! To play, enjoy, & laugh together. To stay together even in the worst situations. To protect each other from every danger & help solve each other's problems! That's what friends do! So cheer up, buddy!" says Jay, after looking at Pichu's sad face, & trying to create a positive environment & cheer Pichu up.

That's it. That did it. This is the affection, the happiness, the love, & the assurance of his well-being Pichu was searching for. Pichu finally got the assurance of his well-being. He now knew that no matter whatever happens, he will remain safe, as long as Jay is by his side. Never did he felt so happy & safe before.

Suddenly, Pichu felt a power generating within him. That power was always somewhere inside him, but this moment had what it required for the power to unleash its potential. So, it's time. Time to get better & stronger.

The sight in front of Jay's eyes can be termed as truly spectacular. It is always amazing to see a Pokémon finally evolve & get stronger. Nothing in the world is more beautiful than seeing a Pokémon evolve. Jay was truly happy to see his partner evolve finally.

Soon, the bright, bedazzling light faded, & on the place of a Pichu was a bigger version of Pichu. The new Pokémon also has its signature Thunder-shaped tail. With longer limbs & ears, this Pokémon is known all over the world for its cuteness & agility. The new Pokémon in the place of Pichu was no one other than the famed Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" greeted Pichu… err… Pikachu. "Pika Pika, Pikachu!" says Pikachu to Jay happily. "Yeah Pichu… I mean Pikachu, congrats on evolving! I am glad that you finally evolved, buddy!" says Jay, feeling happy that his best friend evolved. His Daddy will surely get stunned when he tells about Pikachu to him! Argh, only if this pain stops…

Pikachu is now feeling totally great. His status condition & lowered health are now back to normal & best condition! But now, he needs to look after Jay. His buddy took an attack of a vicious Pokémon head-on. Slowly, he helps Jay get up, & they slowly start walking towards Jay's home.

"STOP!" shouts Neil. Jay & the newly evolved Pikachu turn towards the sadistic boy. Neil was still lying on the ground, trying to get up. "Stop", Neil says again, as he manages to stand up. "It's not over yet. It doesn't matter that the pathetic rodent evolved. It was pathetic, it is pathetic, & it will remain pathetic", says Neil, directing his poisonous statements towards Pikachu.

Pikachu had enough of these pathetic talks. It's time to show this stupid boy that who's the boss here. Pikachu takes a battle stance & prepares himself to attack the bullies, by covering his entire body with crackling electricity. Once prepared, he darts towards the abusive duo with an incredible speed, with electricity covering his entire body. Pikachu's using _**Volt Tackle**_.

In the midway between Jay & Neil, Pikachu jumps. Just then, a lightning bolt hits Pikachu & hypercharges him. Using the electricity & the momentum, Pikachu hits the abusive duo with a hypercharged _**Volt Tackle**_, powered by the effects of the weather, & putting all of his energy into the single attack. The duo gets no time to retaliate or protect themselves, & they receive the attack head-on. This happens in slow motion.

Once the attack connects, it causes a massive explosion, which sends Ekans & Neil flying away at a good distance, & the aftershock of the explosion knocks Jay off his feet.

After the smoke & soot clears from the ground, Jay sees Pikachu standing on the field, with his back facing him. Pikachu is looking in the direction where Neil & his Snake Pokémon were lying. Both of them were clearly knocked out. Jay is shocked by what just happened.

Rain trickles down Pikachu's body. He did it. He evolved. He got stronger. He is no more the weak & pathetic rodent, who can't defend himself. Look what just he did. This is the proof of his true power. Now it's the time to become fearless. With Jay by his side, he can achieve new heights of strength & power. Pikachu smirks. He is now as powerful as his Mommy. He finally made her proud.

But suddenly, he collapses on the ground. That Volt Tackle took every last bit of energy from his body. Seeing his buddy collapse was enough for Jay to break from his trance.

"Pikachu!" Jay shouts, & he runs towards his best friend. But, he looses his balance & falls onto his knees. The rain drenched ground removes all the friction, & Jay's momentum lets him slide in the same position towards Pikachu. His body slows down when he reaches near Pikachu. As soon as reaches near him, he picks him up immediately & hugs him tightly. "You are truly amazing, Pikachu. See what you just did. Didn't I tell you that you were not pathetic?! You are quite powerful, buddy. You taught Neil a nice lesson. He will now think twice before bullying anyone. All thanks to you, he might rethink his ways & behaviour. All thanks to you, we are safe today. All thanks to you, we are friends today. You are truly great, Pikachu… you truly are…" says Jay while hugging him.

"Pikachu", Pikachu mutters slowly, in a low voice. He is just exhausted, he didn't faint. "Come on, let's go home", says Jay, as he somehow manages to get up, & slowly starts walking towards his home, while cradling Pikachu in his arms.

Neil stirs back to consciousness. He slowly opens his eyes & the first thing he notices is Jay leaving the ground. He wanted to run towards him & get his revenge all by himself, but his aching body didn't allow him to do so.

"That Rodent… that rodent is not pathetic", mutters Neil, as he sees Jay now going out of his sight. "They will pay for it", were the last words he mutters, before falling unconscious again, & slumping down, against the body of Ekans.

Just then, a majestic cry can be heard from the sky, & soon the rain stops, & the dark clouds disappear, leaving a beautiful rainbow in the place of the dark clouds.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

IndianKnight – That's so dark! Are you from the DC Universe?

**Ash** **Jason** – Hey! Hey! Calm down, okay?! That was meant to be dark! There was not a better way than this to make their relationship stronger!

**IndianKnight** – At least we can tone it down!

**Ash** **Jason** – Nah… You know we both are VERY LAZY to do that. But yeah, if you say so, let's make the next prologue much lighter!

**IndianKnight** – You better make it lighter…

**Ash** **Jason** – Okay… Now let's stop this Light-Dark rant…

**Darth** **Vader** – You don't know the power of the dark side…

**IndianKnight** – Hey! Who said that?!

**Ash** **Jason** – Don't know… Maybe some guy who makes weird mechanical sounds every time he breathes….

**IndianKnight** – Whatever. Anyways, you know that I am a Pokéshipper & you are an Amourshipper… So what will be the final pairing for Ash? Cuz more than 75% of the Pokémon fanfiction is about deciding a pairing for Ash!

**Ash** **Jason** – Only the time will tell… or maybe those two PSYCHIC WEIRDOS who live in the Citadel town of the Meluha Region… yeah, they might DEFINITELY know about it!

We hope you enjoyed this prologue. There will be two more prologues. Next prologue releases as soon as we finish it! Also, do not forget to check out the artwork for this story, created by the one & only IndianKnight! It's available on the Twitter handle of ** AshJasonAJ**! The map of the Meluha region is also available on the account, so do not forget to check it out.

_What happens next with Jay & his newly-evolved Pikachu? Who made that majestic & harmonious cry at the end of this chapter? Are there any more regional forms of Pokémon in Meluha? What does this region has in store for all of us? Stay tuned to find out more about the mysterious & majestic region of Meluha! Bye for now!_

**© Ash Jason. (OC Character Backgrounds, Story Artwork, Plot elements)**

**© IndianKnight. (OC Character Artworks & Backgrounds, Plot elements)**

**© The Pokémon Company International. (Rest of the characters & assets)**


	2. Prologue 2 - Before the adventure begins

**Pokémon – ADVENTURES IN MELUHA**

_By – IndianKnight & Ash Jason_

PROLOGUE 2

Author's Note:

This chapter will once again focus on one of the main protagonists of the story – Jay Sharma. In the last prologue, we saw him bonding with his now newly evolved Pikachu. This Prologue will set up the first actual chapter of the series; i.e., this chapter will throw light on how Jay's journey begins! – **IK**

This chapter would not be dark at all… or is it? Who knows! Read out to find! ;) Also, we would like to thank all those who supported this fanfic by favoriting, following & reviewing it! Alright, let's begin! – **AJ**

* * *

_Six Months Ago (Jay's age here is 12-13 years)…_

It is the month of October. This is the time when weather starts to cool down in the Meluha region. It marks the beginning of the winter season in the region. Jay is currently sitting on the couch, reading a book about the PTQT (Pokémon Trainer Qualification Test). He had more than four years to think over his decision of being a Pokémon trainer, & after discovering that he truly wants to do that, he plans to give the test. But it won't be that easy to convince his parents.

First of all, his Mom hates Pokémon. Secondly, after that incident four years ago, he doesn't think his parents will ever let him go on such adventures & get injured. And last but not the least; he doesn't even have the courage to ask them.

Life of a Pokémon trainer is quite hard & uncertain. They are always on the move, catching new Pokémon, training them, bonding with them, & commanding them in battles. They have to face all kinds of situations while they travel. They need to care of themselves, as well as their Pokémon. They need to do all the chores on their own, from fetching water to cooking food. Is he up for this challenge? Can he really do it?

Of course he can! He knows all the basics of taking care of himself & his Pokémon! He knows how to do the first aid; he knows how to do all the chores thanks to the fact that his parents are housekeepers, all he needs to learn is how to cook! Why is he thinking negatively? He can do this! He will do this! He's gonna give that exam & nail it! He's gonna be the very best, like no one ever was! He's definitely gonna be a Pokémon trainer! All he needs to do is convince his parents! Well, that's the toughest part, but what does it take to try? There's only one way to find out. He needs to speak with them.

Speaking of his parents, they would be returning soon. Maybe he can speak to them about this over the dinner. Yeah. That's the best way to have their complete attention! All he has to do is gather up his courage & speak his heart out to them!

Just then, the doorbell rings. Great, they are already back! Jay gets up & rushes towards the door to open it. When he opens the door, he finds both his parents standing.

"Welcome home, Mom & Dad!" greets Jay. "Thanks Jay!" replies his Mom, while his father just nods in acceptance, because he is removing his shoes. Aarti enters into the house, slowly followed by Darshan. Jay closes the door, once his parents are inside. His parents start to get refreshed, while Jay slowly makes his way to the dining table, already waiting for the dinner.

After sometime, when everyone gets refreshed & the dinner gets ready, we find the family of three eating their dinner peacefully, well except for Jay. Jay is just fiddling with the spoon & doesn't look like he is actually interested in dinner. Looks like something's bothering him. Truth to be told, Jay is conflicted about whether to say it now or not. He's still reconsidering his plans.

Aarti observes the behaviour of her son & understands that something's bothering her son. "Is something not right, Jay?" asks Aarti to Jay, concerned about what's wrong with her son.

"Huh?" says Jay, finally breaking away from his trance. "I asked you if everything's alright with you", says Aarti, explaining her distracted son. "Um, nothing. I mean, yeah, everything's alright", lies Jay, as he is still reconsidering whether to tell his parents or not.

"Tell me the truth, Jay. I can clearly see something's bothering you. You are not even eating your dinner! Come on, tell me what's bothering you", says Aarti, trying to get information out of her son.

"Well, yes Mom, there's something I want to tell you both, but I don't know how to phrase it in the correct way", says Jay, finally accepting the fact that there's something he wants to discuss with his parents.

"Well, is it about your girlfriend?", asks Darshan, finally speaking as the subject got him interested, & he can't leave this opportunity to tease his son.

"What?! No! I don't have a girlfriend! I don't even want one yet!" says Jay, surprised at how he got caught off guard, & embarrassed about his Dad's question. Ever since he turned into a teenager, his Dad has been constantly teasing him from time to time about the subject of girls & girlfriends.

"YET?" asks Aarti, giggling slightly, with her eyebrows raised. So maybe her son does want one! That's a nice development!

"Mom! Not you too!" screams Jay, embarrassed with where the talks are going. What if he's a teenager? Does that make it mandatory for him to have a girlfriend? That's not right! It's his choice whether he wants a girlfriend or not! Well, truth to be told, he hasn't actually found a girl who he would like. If he ever finds one, he might think about it.

Jay's parents have a good laugh. They loved that reaction of their son. Maybe they can use this topic to tease him more.

Jay sighs, while blushing with embarrassment. Guess his parents will keep him teasing like this. He needs to change the topic before they embarrass him more.

"Guys, stop. It's not about girls & girlfriends, it is about my future", says Jay, trying to get serious & to the point. His parents now stop laughing, & look at their son's determined face. So finally, it's time to speak about future.

"Yeah Jay, what about your future?" asks Darshan, making a neutral face, knowing where this topic is going, but pretending not to.

Looking at his Dad's face drains Jay's confidence. He finds it hard to muster his courage, but manages to do so, & in an inaudible voice, he says, "Uh... Well... I... I want to be a Pokémon trainer".

"Uh… What? Speak loudly!" says Darshan, knowing what his son wants to say, but pretends not to know anything about it.

"I WANT TO BE A POKÉMON TRAINER!" says Jay, so loudly that even their neighbours might have heard that. Immediately understanding what he just said, Jay covers his mouth with both of his hands.

Aarti & Darshan try to look stunned by the revelation, even if they knew this day would come soon. They then exchange glances & Darshan nods, signalling Aarti to speak about their decision.

"Jay, No.", is what Aarti says. That word strikes Jay hard. No. It's a no. The No is enough to shatter Jay's heart. But why? Why can't he be a Pokémon trainer? He needs to know why!

"But WHY?!" asks Jay, not happy with the No.

"Because we don't want you to get hurt. Don't you know how dangerous Pokémon are? Don't you remember that you almost lost your left arm because of one? Had that Ekans bite be poisonous, you might have… you might not even be with us right now..." says Aarti, almost in tears after remembering what happened all those years ago.

* * *

FLASHBACK – FOUR YEARS AGO

Jay & Pikachu returned back to safety, that is, Jay's home. There, Jay, with the help of Pikachu, cleaned his wounds, changed his clothes, & performed first aid on the affected area. That would be enough for sometime, but Jay needed to get an antivenin shot as soon as possible. Jay also helped Pikachu get re-energized by offering him some Mago Berries, which Pikachu accepted happily. They were going to rest for a while. It was quite an eventful day, afterall.

After a few hours, when his Mommy & Daddy both returned home together, Jay explained them everything that happened while they were gone, & how Pikachu saved him. After listening Jay's account of that day's events, both of his parents were shocked. Aarti's eyes dampened after hearing what happened with her son. She immediately hugged Jay & sobbed, & scolded him for his recklessness. While Aarti continued sobbing, Darshan called their family doctor, explained her about the situation, & asked her to come over as soon as possible. He too was quite hurt by what happened with her son, & wished to give that boy's parents a nice piece of his mind. No one gets away after hurting his son.

Soon, the family doctor arrived. She treated Jay, & gave him an antivenin shot. She too scolded him for his recklessness. She then gave a list of medicines to Darshan & left for her clinic. As a way of thanks for saving her son, Aarti let that rodent sleep inside the house that night, but after that, the family of three planned to make a nice home for him on the terrace of their apartment, where he can stay safely & still enjoy with Jay.

After that day, Darshan reported this incident at the nearest Police station & submitted all the evidence. The police, after assessing all the evidence, arrested Neil & filed a case against Neil for attempted Pokémon murder. Neil was tried as a Juvenile in the Juvenile's court, where he confessed for his crimes. He was then sent to a government observation home for juveniles, located in an unknown location. After that day, Jay never saw him again, till this very day.

FLASHBACK ENDS

* * *

"But Mom, that won't happen again! Neil is gone for good!" protests Jay. He hasn't even seen or heard about him in the last four years, how can Neil cause any trouble to him ever again?

"It's not about Neil, Jay. It's about the dangers of being a Pokémon trainer. Pokémon trainers have to go through all kinds of dangers, ranging from sadistic trainers like Neil to the terrorist trainers like Daniel Osaka. We don't want you to go on battling with such trainers out there", reasons Aarti.

"Daniel Osaka? Didn't he die in the surgical strikes conducted by the Unovan Special Forces?!" questions Jay. Daniel Osaka is long dead. How does he come into the equation?

"Yes, he did. But what if his followers are still out there?" questions Aarti. This is something Jay can't argue with.

"I will avoid them! Please! I want to be a Pokémon trainer! I promise to avoid such people! You made me strong enough to protect myself & my Pokémon! Please Mom! Please!" Jay tries to convince his Mom. He is now on the verge of breaking down.

"NO! You are not going to be a Pokémon trainer! That's final!" declares Aarti with an angry face. Looks like she doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

"But Mom!" Jay still tries to argue, but his Mom pays no heed to his requests & starts eating her dinner furiously, still maintaining that angry expression on her face.

Jay then has only one option left. He turns towards his Dad & requests, "Dad, please explain it to Mom! Please tell her how badly I want to be a Pokémon trainer!", but his Dad has different thoughts about the topic.

"Jay, I am sorry but I am with your Mom on this topic. I don't think you are ready to face the challenges & dangers of being a Pokémon trainer. Why don't you become a Pokémon doctor or Pokémon researcher instead? Those fields are also good & they include Pokémon! They also have lesser risks! Those fields would be much better for you!" suggests Darshan. Guess Jay won't get any help from him in anyway.

"But Dad, I want to be a Pokémon trainer! Not a doctor or researcher! They are highly different!" argues Jay. How can his Dad compare those fields like as if they have no difference between them?

"Sorry Jay, but I am with your Mom on this topic", replies Darshan with an expression-less face. He too then starts eating the dinner, without looking at Jay.

Jay's heart shatters into thousands of pieces. The only thing he ever wanted was to be a Pokémon trainer, but he never ever thought his parents will reject that dream in the worst & the coldest way possible. He never demanded much from his parents, yet they rejected his only dream. He felt dejected, lost in an eternal dark abyss. This whole conversation took a toll on his emotional barrier, & tears start flowing down his eyes, slowly falling into his dinner plate.

Jay starts crying.

For as long as he can remember, this is the first time ever he cried. More & more tears started flowing down his eyes. He shut his eyes tightly & starts crying over his dinner plate, wetting the Meluhan bread & salinating the curry with his tears. Just before he could break down any further, he heard a voice.

He heard the voice of laughter.

As soon as he heard the laughter, he immediately opened his eyes, only to see both of his parents laughing out loudly. Aarti was laughing so hard that a single tear flowed down her eyes. Seeing them laugh baffled Jay. How can they laugh after breaking his heart?! How can they do this to him?! What has gotten into his parents?

"I can't put up with that act anymore!" says Aarti between her laughs.

"Me neither!" says Darshan between his laughs too.

That statement stunned Jay. "What do you mean by ACT?" asks Jay immediately & angrily, with his tears now slowly stopping to flow.

"That means we were just joking!" says Aarti, still laughing.

Joking?! What do they mean by joking?! How can they joke on such a sensitive topic! Wait a second… does that mean… DOES THAT MEAN…

"Yes Jay, of course. You can be a Pokémon trainer!" says Darshan, with a happy grin on his face, finally calming down, & breaking up the news to his son.

Jay can't believe what he just heard. Just before a few minutes ago, his parents were opposed to his decision, & now, they are accepting it. He knew it won't be easy to convince them, but looks like they had already planned for it. The tears which stopped flowing down his eyes, once again started flowing. But this time, the tears were not of sadness & heartbreak, but of pure happiness & joy. Jay didn't stop them from flowing & immediately got up from his chair, ran towards his parents, & hugged both of them.

"Thank you! THANK YOU! **THANK YOU!** Thank you Mom & Dad!" squealed Jay in joy. Never did his parents see him being so happy.

"We actually planned for this day quite a while ago. Just by observing you, anyone can figure out that you would rather be a Pokémon trainer than anything else. It just suits you. You truly are cut-out to be a Pokémon trainer. So, I & your Mom decided to put up an act when you finally ask us about it. We wanted to see your reaction, & turns out it was almost just as we thought. We have been saving some money for your adventure gear for quite a while. Afterall, we won't let you go without proper gear!" says Darshan, happy with the fact that his son is so happy.

Jay gets more touched by those words. His parents saved money especially for his adventure gear. That's so sweet of them! He can't thank them enough for what they have done for him. But as a sign of respect, he has to. "Thank you Mom & Dad! Thank you so much! You are the best!" says Jay, as he hugs them more tightly. After a few moments, he remembers that he needs to give this great news to his best friend.

"I need to tell this to Pikachu!" says Jay, & he runs out of the house immediately. "At least have your dinner first!" shouts Aarti, but Jay was already gone by that time.

"That sure made him quite happy", says Darshan, looking towards the entrance of the house.

"You always know the best ways of making someone happy, Darshan", says Aarti in a teasing tone, & topping it up with a wink.

"Oh Aarti, you know that better than me", says Darshan, after turning towards Aarti, maintaining a similar tone.

* * *

_Three Months after Jay's convinced his parents about his future plans...  
_

It's here. The day of examination is finally here. Today's examination will decide Jay's future & his fate. It's the day of the PTQT.

Jay is ready for the examination. He has prepared a lot for it. Currently, he is in his school bus, eagerly waiting for the time it arrives in his school. He can't wait to give that test!

"Hey Jay, are you ready?" asks a boy sitting beside him. "Yeah Prayan, I can't wait for it! I have been preparing for it for quite a while now, & I am all hyped up for it!" replies Jay. "Me too!" Prayan replies back. Prayan is Jay's best human friend. They have been together since kindergarten. Although they didn't get enough time to play with each other, given the fact that Prayan lives at the opposite edge of the Marina City, they still managed to play & chat during their time in the school.

"Aren't you nervous, Jay?" asks a female voice. Jay turns towards the voice & finds a girl of his age standing too close to his face & too near to his seat. This shocks Jay, & he moves back, getting cornered against Prayan. "Ye…Ye…Yeah", says Jay, taken aback by the girl's sudden appearance. This girl always tries to get close to him, & always tries to flirt with him. Doesn't this girl understand that she freaks him out? Doesn't she understand that Jay has no interest in her?

"Well Jay, wouldn't it be nice if we can go on an adventure together? Just me & you?" says the girl, clearly trying to flirt with the raven haired boy, & topping her wrapped request with a wink. "I… I… I will think about that, Rena", is the best reply Jay can bring up. "Yay! Jay's gonna travel with me! Yay! Did you hear that girls! He is mine!" says Rena in a dramatic & excited tone, as she gets back to her seat, daydreaming about her 'quality time' with Jay.

"She's scary", says Jay to no one in particular. "She's hot", says Prayan with a dreamy expression on his face. "What? You like Rena?! How can you?! Don't you think she's totally flirty?" says Jay, shocked by his friend's reaction.

"At least that's what the entire class thinks of her, Jay. While all the boys fawn over her & try constantly to get her attention, she ignores them all & flirts with you. Don't you know you're quite lucky?! The hottest girl in the class has a crush on you!" says Prayan, still maintaining the dreamy expression.

"Uh… I don't need a girlfriend right now. Not yet, & especially not a girl like her. She's not of my type", says Jay. Seriously, how can one like such a girl?

* * *

Soon, the bus arrives in the school premises. One by one, the students start getting down the bus. Jay's finally in his school. He is now getting nervous about the exam. Would he be able to pass the test? Would he be able to excel in it? Would he ever become a Pokémon trainer?

Of course he would! He has prepared a lot for it! He can do this! He would never give up until the end, just like his idol!

Once after all the students exited the bus, an announcement is made on the school's loudspeaker. "Aspiring Pokémon trainers are requested to assemble in front of the school stage for further instructions", is what the announcer said.

Soon, all the students appearing for the test stood in front of the school stage. They were waiting for some instructions, to be given by the PTQT Council representative, the city's Pokémon Centre's head Nurse Joy. Soon, Nurse Joy walks up the stage, holding a microphone & a piece of paper in her hands. She was wearing her regular uniform. **(*1*)**

Nurse Joy then turns on the microphone, taps it thrice to check if it was working or not, & then starts speaking.

"Attention, Aspiring Pokémon trainers, today we are here to conduct the prestigious Pokémon Trainer Qualification Test, a test which will let you enter the amazing world of Pokémon. Passing this Test would open a diverse range of careers for you all. It would let you become a Pokémon trainer, who can then officially participate in the Pokémon League, Pokémon Performances, or in Pokémon Talent Hunt Contests. It would also get you a starter Pokémon & a LIVODex from our regional Pokémon researcher, who is none other than our dear Professor Arya Sagwan, for FREE. I hope everyone's prepared for today's test, & I also hope that you are anticipating for what's waiting for you in the store. Wish you all a good luck for today's PTQT!

Now coming to the instructions part, today's PTQT will be conducted in two phases, as usual. Many of you might know about this, but still, it's our duty to explain it to you all. The first phase is a MCQ test, where you would have to select the appropriate options for the given questions. Each question has four options. Every question paper is randomly generated, so it's highly unlikely that any two candidates will get the same question, which eliminates the possibility of copying. You will get two hours to answer the hundred questions. This test would be a marked test, meaning that this test will carry marks.

The second phase is a practical test, where all of you would be tested for your bonding capabilities; which means, the test is to see how you bond with a randomly assigned Pokémon to you. This test would be a graded test, meaning that this test will carry grades.

The ones who get more than 50% of the marks in the first phase, & receive grades B & above in the second phase, would be deemed eligible for being Pokémon trainers. The results will be declared in the month of February. I hope all of you might have understood all the instructions, & I wish you all the best for today's PTQT. Give your best!"

Nurse Joy ends her short & instructive speech, & walks down the stage. The aspirants start discussing about the instructions & the revelations within themselves.

"I guess phase 2 would be quite hard, since we would be getting random Pokémon we might not have any experience with," says Prayan to Jay. "It can be", says Jay, still pondering over all the information they just received. On the other hand, Rena has some different thoughts. "Well, I think the phase 1 will be harder. How can it possibly be hard to bond with Pokémon?! All we have to do is be nice to them! It's that easy!" says Rena to a group of her friends. The entire group of her friends face palms. Guess Rena is thinking that it's no big feat to bond with Pokémon. Maybe she doesn't know that even the Champions across the world take many years for forming proper bonds with their Pokémon.

Soon, another announcement is made on the loudspeakers. "Aspirants are now requested to enter into their respective examination halls. The PTQT will start at 9 AM sharp." is what the announcer says.

The aspiring Pokémon trainers start moving towards their respective examination halls.

* * *

_Three Hours Later…_

It's the break time after the first phase of the PTQT now. We can find all the aspiring Pokémon trainers on the school ground. Jay is sitting in the shade of a normal-sized Banyan tree. He is currently waiting for Prayan under the tree.

"Hey Jay!" a familiar male voice calls out. So he's finally back.

Prayan jogs towards Jay, knowing that he kept him waiting. Once he reaches near Jay, he starts panting, & sits down beside him.

"What took you so much time?" asks Jay out of curiosity. "Wanted to piss off after that test", replies Prayan in a sarcastic tone. "Seriously?!" asks Jay, thinking that his best friend is joking. "Yeah, that test was quite hard. It made me quite nervous, which is why I wanted to get to the washroom. Oooh I feel so relieved now!" says Prayan while stretching his arms.

Jay sweatdrops. His friend is way too frank for his own liking. Once after stretching his arms, Prayan asks Jay, "So what about you? How did your test go? I bet it would have been quite easy for you, afterall you are a true genius!"

Jay sighs. He still doesn't understand why his friends call him genius, even if they usually get the same marks in most of the tests. But yeah, he can't deny the fact that he prepared a lot for the phase 1 of the test, so it went great for him. He might even score more than 90% in the exam!

"It went well", says Jay humbly. It's better not to brag about how great his test went.

"So... ready for the Phase 2?" asks Prayan to Jay. "Of course I am! I am eagerly waiting to find out what kind of Pokémon I am going to battle with!" says Jay enthusiastically. Truth to be told, he is looking forward for Phase 2, because it is the most interesting phase of the exam. It is because of the fact that the aspirants can choose what to do in it. In the phase 2, there are three options available for the aspirants. They include - battling, performing or showcasing a Pokémon's talent. Jay & Prayan obviously want to battle. They can't wait for it!

"Jay, if by any chance, we end up battling one another, I want you to promise me not to hold back," requests Prayan in a determined tone. Jay stares at his friend's face for a moment, studying his determined expression. "I won't hold back. I promise. But the same applies on you too", says Jay with a polite smile. "Of course, I won't hold back either. Let's make this battle a truly great one! Let's give our A-game!" says Prayan, now pumped up. "Yeah! Let's do it!" says Jay, equally pumped up for the battle, too.

"Wow Jay, if you gonna battle, I will cheer for you!" says a familiar female voice. Jay & Prayan turn behind to see Rena standing behind the tree. She slowly but surely comes out of hiding, in front of the boys.

"Err…Rena…Thanks for that, but don't you want to participate in the test?" says Jay, taken aback by her sudden appearance. Why does this girl always try to get close to him?

"Oh of course I want to! How would we travel together if I don't appear for the test?!" says Rena, adding a wink to her statement.

Jay feels a bit awkward & disgusted by Rena's advances. He needs to think something so that she leaves her alone, at least till the exam. Afterall, he doesn't want anyone to fail just because they wanted to cheer for him, instead of focusing on their test. That's right! He can just say this to her!

"Well Rena, if you don't focus on the test, how would you pass then? If you want to travel with me, then please focus on the test rather than me. That way, you might pass & we may be able to travel together", says Jay, mentally cursing himself for saying all that things. He may regret what he said, later.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Jay! Okay, I won't cheer for you then!" replies Rena, slightly unhappy with the fact that she can't cheer for him, but much happier with the fact that Jay himself said that he wants to travel with her! Oh, they can enjoy a lot together! They would be just like a couple! He would take her to the Union Point, ask her out, & they would then marry on that beautiful Union Beach of Seaginn Town, surrounded by water from three directions. Then, while walking on the beach sands, while holding hands, they will stop near the sea at the sunset, where she & Jay would lean in, & then they will ki…

"Hey Rena, you can cheer for me instead, if all you want to cheer for someone THAT badly", says Prayan to her, breaking her out from her beautiful daydreams. Ugh, how dare this guy, uh… what was his name again… oh right Prayan… how dare he interrupt her beautiful daydreams?! She won't tolerate such interruptions!

"Shut up, bastard!" she says angrily & walks away, stomping her feet on the ground to show her anger. She won't spare him the next time he does that.

"Uh… What did I do?", asks Prayan to no one in particular, making a whiny face like as if he would start crying immediately. "Oh Prayan, stop being childish & dramatic. You know well about that that girl's behaviour", says Jay, disgusted by his friend's reactions. Why does he need to fawn over such a girl? He would find many girls better than her.

Soon, an announcement is made, signalling the commencement of phase 2 of the exam. So finally, it's time. "All the aspiring Pokémon trainers are requested to assemble near the school battlegrounds so that they can receive their training Pokémon", the announcer announces.

All the aspirants start gathering near the battlegrounds, forming a line, so that they can receive their Pokémon. The Aspirants were required to select any one of the Pokéball set on the table. After picking up their Pokémon, everyone started registering for either battling, or performing, or talent showcasing. While Jay & Prayan registered for battling, Rena registered for performing. After registration, the aspirants started moving either towards the stage, or in the battlegrounds, while some resorted to check what Pokémon they have.

Jay is now sitting in the stands of the battlegrounds, looking at the Pokéball he has in his hand. Whatever Pokémon waited inside for him, he will take care of it & use it wisely during the battling. Not wanting to wait anymore for seeing what waits inside the Pokéball, Jay presses the button on it. The Pokéball shoots a sparkling white light from it, which materializes into a blue-coloured, tadpole Pokémon, with spirals on its stomach. It's a Poliwag.

The Poliwag opens his eyes & sees a raven haired boy sitting in front of him. The boy has a curious & a happy look on his face. So maybe he is his today's makeshift trainer.

"Hey Poliwag, nice to meet you. My name is Jay, & I need your help to win today's battles." Jay introduces himself, & gets straight to the point. So this boy is named Jay. Well, the Poliwag was specifically trained for assisting aspiring Pokémon trainers in such kind of battles. So, she needs to help this boy too. He seems quite nice, though.

"Poli!" Poliwag replies happily. She will help this boy win all the battles!

Jay pets the Poliwag. He can't resist himself from petting such a cute Pokémon. "You are such a cute Pokémon, Poliwag! Let's win today's tournament!" says Jay. "Poli!" Poliwag chirps happily. Every Pokémon likes getting petted.

Soon, the battle tournament started. This year, 64 students from their school were participating for battling. The number made it convenient for the management to conduct a 1-on-1 mini-tournament, where an aspirant can battle for a maximum of 6 times. To test their skills as a trainer & to avoid any favouritism & objections, all the aspirants received Pokémon of level 12, & were given no idea or clue about the moves, abilities, or nature of the Pokémon they received. Being a Pokémon trainer, they should know about all such stuff, which is what the Phase 1 MCQ test was also for. Also, every match would be judged by the PTQT Council representatives, which includes the Head Nurse Joy of Marina City's Pokémon Centre.

Jay's first match is against a boy named Varun, who has received a Meluhan Lotad **(*2*)**. The trainers are currently standing on the battlefield, in opposite trainer boxes, with their Pokémon out on the battlefield, waiting for the referee to signal for the start of the match.

"This is gonna be quite easy", said Varun to himself, with an arrogant smirk. Jay noticed that arrogant smirk. So he thinks he can win this just because of type advantage. Good. Let's change his perception. He will soon understand that type advantage doesn't guarantee a win in a battle. He has seen many examples of that, especially the ones set by his idol Ash Ketchum himself.

"Match Start!" announces the referee. It was previously decided by a coin flip about who will make the first move.

"Lotad, use _**Absorb**_!" commands Varun, with the over-confident, arrogant smirk still on his face. Lotad concentrates hard, & soon absorbs some HP out of Poliwag. Being a Grass-type move, it does super-effective damage on Poliwag.

"Poli!" Poliwag cringes with pain. That attack hit her hard.

"Are you okay, Poliwag?" asks Jay, honestly concerned about Poliwag's well-being.

"Poli!" chirps Poliwag, still slightly in pain, but giving an affirmative signal. She can take a lot more than this.

"Great! Use _**Hypnosis**_!" commands Jay. Poliwag starts moving her belly in a circular motion, releasing hypnotic rays from the spirals of her body.

"Quick Lotad, Dodge them!" commands Varun in a panicked state. How did he let his guard down, knowing that his opponent's Pokémon is a Poliwag, which has a very diverse range of attacks?!

Lotad does his best to dodge the hypnotic rays, but fails to do so. Suddenly, slowly & surely, the water weed Pokémon starts falling asleep.

Now it is the time for Jay to smirk. Lotad's taken care of. Being a part water type, Lotad won't wake up soon, even if Poliwag used Water-type attacks on the Lotad.

"Good Job, Poliwag! Way to go!" compliments Jay. This match is already over, & out of Varun's hands.

"Poli!" Poliwag chirps happily. Guess they won this match quite easily!

"Poliwag, now that the Lotad is sleeping, use continuous _**Water Guns**_ & _**Bubbles**_ on Lotad", commands Jay with a smirk.

"Wait! That's illegal!" shouts Varun, but no one pays attention to his woes as it is completely legal.

Even Poliwag smirks this time. She got this. She releases a barrage of _**Water Guns**_ & _**Bubbles**_ on the sleeping Pokémon, knocking it out in its sleep.

Ultimately, after the barrage ends, the referee checks the condition & declares it unfit for battle. Meaning that Jay is the winner, & he can advance to the next round.

Immediately after hearing the results, Jay bursts out of happiness. He won his first proper Pokémon battle! Yay! In his happiness, he picks up Poliwag & hugs her. "You did it Poliwag! You did it! You won us the match!" says Jay, quite happy with his easy success. "Poli!" Poliwag chirps happily. It's always great to win & make such aspirants happy. But out of all the aspirants, this one is the best one she ever met, because it looks like he knows what he is doing.

"Hey, I got a weak Pokémon! That's not fair!" fumbles Varun, as he complains about it to the referee & the judge Nurse Joy. "Well, don't fret. This tournament is not about losing, but about the bonds you form with these Pokémon. So winning in this tournament doesn't matter at all", says the judge Nurse Joy, trying to convince & calm the boy, but already knowing what grade to give him for terming his Pokémon weak. "Uh fine. I am out of this tournament anyhow, so you can take it back", says Varun, slamming Lotad's Pokéball on Nurse Joy's desk & leaving the battlefield without looking behind. Looks like he took this loss quite seriously.

* * *

After a few more matches, it is now time for the final match. Both Jay & Prayan battled really well & now they are in the finals, facing each other.

Both of the friends are now standing in the battlefield, in opposite trainer boxes, with Jay's Pokémon, the Poliwag, out on the battlefield. Jay's waiting with anticipation for his best friend to release & reveal his Pokémon. If Prayan & his Pokémon made it this far, then they surely might be strong & intelligent. Soon, Prayan presses the button on his Pokéball & a dazzling white light shoots out of it. The white light materializes into a Murkrow.

"Krow!" cries out of Murkrow, as he flaps his wings & starts flying, in a bid to hover over the ground.

"A Murkrow. This is gonna be interesting", says Jay to himself.

"Match Start!" shouts the referee, signalling the start of the final match of the tournament.

The crowd of Aspirants, who decided to stick till the end to see who wins the tournament, cheered loudly from the stands. By the coin flip, it was decided that Jay would command first, which was done prior to the match.

"Ready for it, Poliwag?" asks Jay to the Poliwag.

"Poli!" Poliwag gives an affirmative chirp. She can do this all day.

"Alright! Use _**Hypnosis**_!" commands Jay. While a few might think it is a bad idea to start with this low accuracy move, Jay knows what he is doing.

Poliwag starts moving her belly in a circular motion, releasing hypnotic rays from the spirals of her body.

Prayan doesn't command anything. He stands there with an expression-less face. Heck, even that Murkrow doesn't even try to dodge the hypnotic rays & instead opts to take them head-on, with an equivalent of an arrogant smirk on its face.

Once the attack ends, the spectators can still find Murkrow hovering above the battlefield, & Poliwag standing on the battlefield, with an expression of shock on her face. How didn't this bird fall asleep, even after taking the attack head-on?

Jay grinds his teeth with discomfort. This is what he feared. This Murkrow has the **Insomnia** ability. That makes this match much harder & challenging than he thought.

"Good, Murkrow! Now it's our turn! Use _**Astonish**_ & top it with constant _**Pecks**_!" orders Prayan with great confidence.

Murkrow smirks arrogantly again. This tadpole Pokémon's winning streak ends here. Murkrow dives towards the battlefield, charging ghostly energy for the move, in a bid to use _**Astonish**_.

Jay grinds his teeth again. If that _**Astonish**_ hit Poliwag, there's no way he's gonna win. Prayan does have some good strategies. He needs to do something about it. Suddenly, a light bulb goes on in his head. He has an idea!

"Poliwag, cover yourself with your _**Bubble**_ attack & take the hit! Then use _**Water Gun**_!" commands Jay, thinking out of the box.

"Poli?!" says Poliwag, baffled at what the aspirant is saying. How's that gonna help in anyway? Even if baffled by the aspirant's command, Poliwag trusts this boy. If he made so far, he would probably know what he is doing. So, Poliwag does as commanded. She covers herself with her _**Bubble**_ attack, & prepares for a _**Water Gun**_ attack.

Prayan is surprised by what Jay commanded. Like really, How's that gonna save the Poliwag? Well, it would be better to see what happens rather than question his best friend's strategy.

Murkrow too is slightly baffled by the command. This boy seems out of his mind. Those stupid _**Bubbles**_ of that tadpole Pokémon won't do anything to stop him. Murkrow completely charges the ghost-type attack, dive-bombs towards Poliwag & hits her directly on her belly. That causes her to stagger & fall on her back. The _**Bubbles**_ around her body burst because of the impact.

Both Murkrow & Prayan smirk at the same time. Guess she **flinched**. Jay's _**Bubbles**_ were both pointless & useless. This gives them the clear opening to hit the tadpole Pokémon. Murkrow immediately charges towards the Poliwag, ready to hit her with multiple _**Peck**_ attacks. Murkrow closes the distance. This Tadpole Pokémon is dealt with. Murkrow's gonna surely win this time.

Just as the Murkrow is about to hit her, Poliwag gets up using her tail as a spring & hits Murkrow with the _**Water Gun**_, which she charged before, & attacks at a point blank range, much to the surprise of both the opposing Pokémon & the aspirant. Taking the full brunt of the critical hit, Murkrow gets completely drenched, & is sent flying back towards Prayan.

"No, Murkrow!" shouts Prayan, not expecting such thing to happen.

The Murkrow lands in front of Prayan, completely drenched because of the water-type move, but hasn't fainted yet. Prayan is completely dumbfounded. How did this happen? Why didn't the Poliwag **flinch**? Just then, enlightenment dawns within Prayan's brain. Shit, how didn't he understand that?! Those darn _**Bubbles**_, they took away all the ghost type energy of the move, making it just a normal type when it hit the tadpole Pokémon. So, while the move did damage & knocked the Poliwag on her back, _**Bubbles**_ prevented Poliwag from flinching as the move was no more a ghost type move. Jay does know what he is doing.

Poliwag looks at her opponent's state, & then at Jay. She surely is starting to like the boy. This boy does have some crazy ideas.

It's now Jay's time to smirk. Guess his idea did work. Sometimes, he even amazes himself. He has no idea how he got this idea in the first place, but it looks like his idol's strategies are rubbing off on him.

"Murkrow! Please get up!" appeals Prayan to his Pokémon. Slowly but surely, Murkrow gets up, & shakes its body dry. How did that Tadpole Pokémon manage to land a critical hit?! Heck, how did she didn't flinch?! Now it's time to take the match more seriously!

The match keeps going on, with Murkrow using _**Astonish**_, _**Pursuit**_ & _**Peck**_, while Poliwag used _**Bubble**_ & _**Water **__**Gun**_. In the end though, Poliwag wins the match with a final **Water** **Gun** which Murkrow fails to avoid due to its tired state. The match ends with a fainted Murkrow lying on the ground, & Poliwag heavily panting. She did take a lot of hits, afterall. But the critical hit which she landed in the first few exchanges did all the difference; else there was an equal possibility of her losing or winning the match.

After checking on Murkrow, the referee declares, "Murkrow is unable to battle. Meaning Poliwag & the Aspirant Jay is the winner! That makes them the winner of today's tournament!"

"You did it, Poliwag! You did it! We won the tournament!" exclaims Jay, as he picks up the Poliwag & hugs her, while jumping in joy. Poliwag also tries to hug the aspirant, but soon she realises that she has no hands. So, she just let the boy keep hugging her. She has grown quite fond of this boy just within a short period of the time they spent with each other. This is the first time she ever won a tournament. Heck, this is the first time she actually had fun while battling. While his best friend celebrates, Prayan returns back the Murkrow. "You did a great job, Murkrow", says Prayan, quietly to the Pokéball. Oh, he was so close to winning. But anyways, he is happy that he did his best & has no regrets. Infact, he is happy to make this far & happier to see his friend win. Guess this is the start of a friendly rivalry between them. Prayan smiles at his best friend & leaves the battlefield without saying anything or meeting anyone.

The judge of the match was none other than the head Nurse Joy of the Marina City Pokémon Centre. She was quite pleased with both the boys, even if the one with the Murkrow lost. Afterall, this tournament didn't have any prizes & it was a part of the PTQT. So, this was all about the Aspirants & how they bond with the Pokémon. She is sure these two would definitely be great trainers & even make it to the Pokémon League.

Soon, all the aspirants started returning back the Pokémon they received. So, it is also time for Jay to return the Poliwag.

"Guess this is where we say Goodbye, Poliwag", says Jay in a sad tone. Even if they had spent just a short amount of time with one another, they surely have become great friends.

"Poli…" Poliwag sighs in a sad tone. She doesn't want to leave this boy. He is quite caring & intelligent. But sadly, she is a League Pokémon, which means she can't stay with this boy. But, she will do anything to stay with this boy now. Anything.

"I will miss you, Poliwag", says Jay, as he taps the button of Poliwag's Pokéball. The Pokéball emits a red light, which is meant to suck in the Pokémon into the Pokéball on contact. But just before the light could hit her, Poliwag jumps out of the way.

"Huh?! What's wrong Poliwag?" asks Jay, not understanding why the Tadpole Pokémon avoided the ray. Poliwag shakes her head sideways. She doesn't want to leave him.

"What do you mean by no? I mean, don't you want to return to Nurse Joy?" asks Jay, getting a slight gist of what Poliwag wants. Poliwag once again moves her head sideways. She DOESN'T want to GO BACK. She WANTS to GO WITH HIM.

Jay sighs. As much as he doesn't want to let Poliwag go, he knows that he has to. Afterall, she is a League Pokémon. Keeping her with him without League's permission would lead to legal consequences. If Poliwag doesn't want to return into her Pokéball, he would have to talk to a PTQT Council Member about it. Just then, he spots the Head Nurse Joy near him, talking to the other Nurse Joys. Distinguishing Nurse Joys & Officer Jennies is easier in Meluha because of their varying heights & skin tones. Unlike other regions, where they CLONE Nurse Joys & Officer Jennies from the most perfect Nurse & Officer, Meluha instead uses Plastic Surgery to give all Nurse Joys & Officer Jennies the same look, so that they can be identified as one of them, & still can be distinguished. The Nurse Joys & Officer Jennies do retain a same hair colour & same uniform, in Meluha. **(*3*)**

Jay then picks up the Poliwag & walks up to the head Nurse Joy. "Nurse Joy, can I have a moment?" he asks politely. The Nurse Joy then takes an excuse from the other Nurse Joys & walks with Jay towards a more silent place.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate for your today's win. Me personally, I am quite impressed with the way you take care of Pokémon", says Nurse Joy. "Thanks, Nurse Joy", replies Jay while a scratching the back of his head. Even Nurse Joy is praising him. Is he really that good?

"Now, would you please tell me what you wanted to say?" requests Nurse Joy politely. That sentence makes Jay come back to his senses. He says, "Well Nurse Joy, the Poliwag I received today doesn't want to return to her Pokéball. She says she wants to stay with me." "Okay…" says Nurse Joy, while thinking about what he said. Even if Jay won today's tournament, she can't be sure if the boy is telling the truth. So, it's better to ask the concerned Pokémon.

"So Poliwag, do you really want to go with this boy?" asks Nurse Joy politely. "Poli!" chirps Poliwag happily while nodding. She no more wants to be a Pokémon for Aspirants. She wants a proper trainer, & who could possibly be better than this boy?!

Nurse Joy sighs. So the boy was telling the truth. Poliwag does want to go with him. But she doesn't have the authority to hand over a League Pokémon to anyone without official & legal permission. So, even if the Pokémon wants to go with an Aspirant happily, she is helpless in this matter.

"Look… Uh… right, Jay…. See, even if Poliwag wants to go with you, I am sorry to say that I can't allow it. You see, I don't have the right to hand over League Pokémon without official permission. Hope you understand", says Nurse Joy, breaking Jay & Poliwag's heart. How can she go against the wishes of a Pokémon?

"But yes, I would definitely try to do something for you & Poliwag. The best I can do is file a request to the league on your behalf, & add all the signatures of the Nurse Joys of our Pokémon Centre as witnesses of your truthfulness & dedication for Poliwag, so that they can transfer her responsibilities & Pokéball officially & legally to you. Hope you both understand", says Nurse Joy, genuinely wanting the Poliwag to join Jay's team. This heals their heartbreak a bit.

Poliwag sighs sadly. She knew this wouldn't happen quite easily. Jay notices the sad expression of the tadpole Pokémon & pets her head. "Cheer up, Poliwag. I know the League would definitely give a thought about our request. Afterall, they do care about a Pokémon's wishes! Also, if all the Nurse Joys are helping us out, then I am sure the League won't stop us from uniting as a team again!" says Jay, trying to be optimistic & to cheer up Poliwag.

After hearing those sentences, Poliwag does actually feel good. Yes, the league can't stop them. If the league tries to do so, they will regret that. Also, the Nurse Joys are helping them, so there won't be a problem. So, she can actually have her way! Yay!

"Poli!" Poliwag cries happily. There's nothing stopping them from reuniting as a team! Seeing her happy, makes Jay feel happy. He hands over Poliwag's Pokéball to Nurse Joy. "Please Nurse Joy, would you take care of her? She is really a nice Pokémon & won't trouble you. She's quite sweet & friendly, afterall. Please, would you take care of her until I receive the permission from the league? Please?!" pleads Jay politely. Who's better to trust than Nurse Joy?

"Of course I will! That's my duty, afterall! I will take good care of her," replies Nurse Joy. Infact, all the Pokémon used today were from the Marina City Pokémon Centre. So that's the place where they came from & that's the place they will go back. "Thank you, Nurse Joy", says Jay.

Jay then kneels down & hugs Poliwag. "I will miss you, Poliwag. Take care & Please wait for me, okay?" requests Jay. "Poli…" says Poliwag sadly. Guess this is a goodbye, then.

Jay then places Poliwag back on the ground & gets up. "Goodbye Poliwag, see you soon", says Jay, trying & almost succeeding to stop the tears from flowing. But still, a single tear rolls down his left eye.

"Poli…" says Poliwag, an equivalent of a Goodbye with a sad tone. She will have to wait for him. She will.

"Return Poliwag", says Nurse Joy, & presses the button on the Pokéball. The Pokéball shoots a red light & sucks Poliwag into the Pokéball.

Nurse Joy sighs. Finally it's over. She would take a nice long rest tonight & then write the request letter tomorrow. But, she needs to do something first before leaving.

"You would be a great trainer Jay. You would reach great heights in your adventure. I wish you all the best for your journey, & I would try my best to get you the ownership of Poliwag. Although it is highly unlikely that the league will reject your request, we can't always be sure. So, have a nice day & Goodbye!" says Nurse Joy politely. "Thank you Nurse Joy. Thank you for everything", says Jay, expressing his gratitude for the Nurse Joy, & gaining slight happiness for what she just said. Nurse Joy then gives him a smile & then walks away towards the other Nurse Joys.

Jay is now standing alone, staring at the sky. It's still bright, & it's hardly 3 PM yet. He stares at the clouds as they pass by. He stares at his limits.

It was a quite an eventful day for him, especially the Phase 2 of the PTQT. He had some great battles, & even won the tournament. But most importantly he would remember it because of the someone special he met. His second Pokémon. He will also remember it for defeating his best friend, Prayan, who is currently & mysteriously missing. Did he take that loss seriously? Ugh, that boy… he needs to find him. So Jay stops staring at the sky, & goes to search for his friend.

* * *

_Three Months after the PTQT…._

"Jay! Have you packed your bags?!" asks a female voice. "Yes Mom!" replies Jay.

Jay is currently packing his backpack in his bedroom. Today is the day he has been waiting for his entire life. Today is the day he leaves on his journey. The journey to be the best, like no one ever was. Currently, Jay is wearing his adventure gear, which his parents brought from the savings they did specially for buying the adventure gear. **(*4*) **Jay then zips his backpack & picks it up in his hands. While walking towards the living hall, he spots a photo-frame hanging on the wall. That photo depicted the scene of the city mayor felicitating Jay with a rolled up paper, & a Pokéball. Jay smiles looking at that photo. It is of the day when Jay received his official Trainer Licence & Poliwag's Pokéball from the Mayor of the Marina city.

* * *

FLASHBACK – A FEW MONTHS AGO

Jay had been eagerly waiting for this day. Today was the day of results. Results of the PTQT.

He is currently in his school, walking towards the school notice board. The management had put up the results on the notice board, so that everyone could see it.

"Congratulations Jay!" Jay heard someone saying for the umpteenth time. He had no idea why everyone is congratulating him.

Soon, he reached near the notice board & found a huge mob of students blocking the view & the path to the notice board.

He somehow managed to push through them & finally got to look at the notice board. When he looked it, he got the biggest shock of his life. His name was not in the list of the qualified aspirants. But how? How's that possible? He prepared so much for both the tests, yet he didn't qualify? Heck, his Phase 1 went great; he even won the Phase 2 tournament! How in the name of Arceus can't he qualify? Slowly, he got pushed back by the crowd. He felt lost. He felt dejected. He felt like a pathetic loser. Never ever he did face such a situation in his life. He almost never faced failure in his life. He still can't understand what went wrong, & tried to think about it, while staring into space.

Soon, the school bell rang, & everyone went back to their classes. But Jay stood there itself, still staring down at the floor.

"Jay!" a voice called out. But Jay didn't move.

"JAY!" the voice called out again, but Jay still kept staring at the floor.

The person then came closer to him & shook him. "Jay, are you okay?" said the familiar voice of his best friend.

Hearing the voice of his best friend finally got a reaction out of him. Jay stumbled down, & he fell on his knees. Slowly, tears started trickling down his eyes, wetting the floor.

"Hey? What's wrong? Why are you crying?!" asked Prayan, concerned about his friend's state.

"I didn't qualify", Jay said barely, in a lifeless & low voice.

"What?" asked Prayan. How can one hear such a low voice?

"See that board", says Jay while sobbing, tears flowing non-stop through his eyes.

Prayan looked at the notice board & understood what he was implying.

"Oh, about that, well the Principal's calling you", said Prayan like as if it was not a big deal.

That statement of his friend gave Jay another heartbreak. The principal was calling him?! But why? Just because he didn't qualify?! First he became the mocking stock of the school & now the principal wants to scold him! Why is this happening with him?

Getting no reply from his friend, Prayan puts both his hands on the shoulders on his friend. "Hey, calm down. Let's go", he said in a soothing voice. He helped Jay stand up & walk towards the Principal's office. By the time they reach there, Jay's tears had stopped flowing. On the place of the tears was now a cold, mortified, & a lifeless expression.

Prayan, taking the note of his friend's state, took the initiative to knock on the Principal's door.

"Come in," says a bold male voice. Prayan pushes the door open & leads Jay inside. Once after entering the cabin, Prayan makes Jay take a seat, & then sits beside him.

The cabin consisted of a rotatable Leather chair on one side of a huge office table, two more chairs on the other side, & many book shelves all around the room. The cabin was dimly lit, with the light falling only onto the office table. The cabin seemed creepier than generally it was. Is it because of the lighting?

"Master Jay Sharma", says the same bold male voice, as the man sitting on the leather chair turns towards the two students. Judging by the looks, this man looked like a 50-60 year old man, with air of authority around him, & a face & expression which demanded respect. This man is the school's principal. He was wearing a black coat with a red tie. Due to his ageing, he was slowly turning bald, & his remaining hairs were whitening.

"Do you know why you have been summoned?" asks the principal in the same bold voice, & a serious tone.

Jay stares at the table lifelessly.

The principal sighs. This boy looked like as if he was totally drained out of life force & will collapse at any instant.

"We are here to discuss about your result of PTQT", said the principal, answering his question himself.

Jay still looked lifeless.

"Do you know what you have done? Do you have any idea what we expected from you?" asked the principal in a pressurising tone.

"I am sorry", Jay said something finally.

"Please don't be sorry! We don't need it. All I need is an explanation!" exerted the principal, while pounding his fist on the table.

"I don't have one", mutters Jay, while still looking mortified.

"Do you have any idea how your parents might feel after finding out about your result? Huh? Do you know?!" the principal exerted more pressure.

Jay gave no response.

"They sacrifice so much for you, & what did you do in return for them? Huh? What did you do for them?!" the principal exerted more & more pressure, while slamming his fist on the table.

Jay gave no response.

"You did what no one expected Jay. No one expected this from you", says the principal in the most serious tone one can imagine.

"I am sorry", says Jay, now starting to tear up once again. A single tear rolled down his right eye.

"We don't need your apology", many voices spoke out at once.

"Huh?" Jay looked around in a surprise. Who said that?

Suddenly, the lights in the room went bright, lighting up every corner of the cabin. Jay looks around to see who did that, just to get a party popper right on his face. Suddenly, the room got filled with sounds of party poppers going on & confetti bursting right above Jay. The entire room got filled with shiny & glittering papers. Jay was having a hard time removing all those shiny papers stuck on his face, when he heard many voices speak in a chorus, "Congratulations!"

After struggling for a bit & finally managing to get the glittering paper bits off his face, he spat out a shiny paper which went into his mouth. He then turned around to see many of his classmates standing in the room, with party poppers in their hands. He also found his teachers & Marina City Nurse Joys standing in the room, with bright smile on their faces.

"What's happening?" Jay finally said something in a louder voice. He was quite surprised & confused with what's going on. Why are they celebrating his failure?

"Jay, you have made our school & the entire Marina City proud. Not only did you qualify in the PTQT, but you got the joint number one position in the entire region! You are this year's topper of the exam!" said the principal, changing his tone from a serious one to the one full with delight & happiness.

"Not only that, but because of your suggestion, the league has decided to hand out the Pokémon the top 100 Aspirants used in the test to them as a prize! That means you can now get the official Pokémon training right for the Poliwag!" exclaimed The Head Nurse Joy.

Jay didn't believe his ears. Did he actually do that? Did he actually manage to get the number one position? Was this true? This wasn't a dream, was it?

Suddenly, someone pulled his cheeks quite hard for behind, breaking him from his trance. He turned around to see who did that, only to see his Mom & Dad standing there. "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Jay exclaimed in surprise.

"What are we doing here?! Oh come on, it's your big day, Champ! We are here to celebrate! Congratulations!" said Darshan, as he hugged his son. "Congratulations Jay!" said Aarti, as she hugged him too.

"It's party time!" shouted the principal himself. He was the one most excited among them all.

After getting big shocks, surprises & praises, & of course after the crazy success party, where the school's principal danced like there's no tomorrow; it was revealed to Jay that the City Mayor will himself award him with the official Pokémon League permission letter, the trainer's licence, & of course, Poliwag's Pokéball & training permission. That day was truly a big day for Jay.

After everyone started returning back to their work, Jay stopped Prayan & asked him, "Hey, when principal sir said I got the first place, he mentioned that as joint first place. So, do you have any idea who's the other guy?" "Of course I know that!" replied Prayan. "He is Lavin Sagwan, brother of Professor Arya Sagwan".

* * *

FLASH BACK ENDS

That day truly was the happiest day of his life. He takes a final look at his bedroom & then closes its door. He makes his way into the living hall & finds both of his Pokémon, waiting for him on his couch. Jay looks at both his Pokémon & smiles.

"Ready Pikachu & Poliwag?" asks Jay to his two Pokémon.

"Pika!" "Poli!" the two Pokémon shout there affirmatives. The three, human & Pokémon both alike, are quite excited. They were waiting for this day from a long time!

Aarti then arrives in the living area, packing the tiffin, as she sets it on the dining table. "Jay, the tiffin's ready!" she announces. "Yes Mom!" replies Jay enthusiastically. He is in a high & excited mood today. Jay & the two Pokémon then walk towards the dining table.

"I have packed enough food for all of you to last till Ambrose Town", says Aarti, as she hands over the tiffin to her son. Jay takes the tiffin, thanks his mom, & places it neatly in his backpack.

"Did you take everything?" asks Aarti. "Yes," replies Jay.

"Toothbrush & Toothpaste?" "Yes"

"Soap & Towel?" "Yes!"

"First aid box?" "Yes!"

"Potions & Status Heals?" "Yes!"

"Extra sets of clothes & underwear?" "YES!"

"Your Trainer Licence & Payment Card?" "How can I not take it, Mom?!"

"An engagement ring?" "Of course! Wait WHAT?!"

Aarti, Pikachu & Poliwag; all laugh at Jay's reply & reaction. Oh, she always loves that face he makes! Hope so he finds his love soon, just like his parents.

"Mom! I am going on an adventure! Not on some quest to find me a girl!" replies Jay exasperatedly, while blushing. He hates it when his Mom brings up that topic. He doesn't need a girlfriend… or does he?

"Oh, you don't know. Maybe you can find your partner on your adventure? Heck, you might even find her while you walk down the street towards the station! Isn't that cool?!" says Aarti with a dreamy expression, & topping it with a wink.

"MOM! PLEASE STOP!" says Jay, now even more exasperated. Aarti, Pikachu & Poliwag laugh once again, just to add more fuel to Jay's embarrassment.

"Okay, Okay, I will. Remember to call home every day. Take care of yourself & your Pokémon. Eat food sufficiently & on time. Wear fresh clothes everyday. Is that clear?" commands Aarti.

"Yes Mom!" replies Jay with a salute.

"Pikachu & Poliwag, please take care of my son & ensure that you all are safe. Is that clear?" commands Aarti to the two Pokémon.

"Pika!" "Poli!" both the Pokémon reply, with a salute. But suddenly Poliwag remembers that she doesn't have hands, so she just shrugs it off & nods instead.

Just then, Darshan enters into the house, as the door was not locked. "I am home!" he announces.

"You are late, Darshan", Aarti argues with her husband.

"I am so sorry, Aarti & Champ. You see, they didn't give us any leave today. Not even a half-day. The workload has increased way too much. I did my best to come as soon as possible. I am so sorry", Darshan defends himself, as he removed his shoes & socks & enters into the house. He then puts down his business bag & another bag with a box in it on the couch & sits there.

"It's okay, Dad. At least you made it before I left," says Jay, sad for his Dad. His Dad works a lot, & he can't see his Parents arguing with each other.

"Anyways, to compensate for my late arrival, I got you this", says Darshan, as he hands over the box to his son. Jay takes the box & opens it to see what's inside.

"My favourite snacks! Thanks Dad! You are the best!" says Jay happily. His Dad does know how to make up for something.

"Now champ, I want you to promise me to take care of yourself & your Pokémon; avoid doing reckless stuff; & a phone call daily. Will you promise me?" asks Darshan in a fatherly tone. "Yes, I promise," replies Jay. He then looks at the wall clock above the TV & finds that it's time to leave.

"Mom, Dad, it's time to leave", says Jay. He slings his backpack on his back after putting the box his Dad gave to him in it. He returns Poliwag into her Pokéball & clips the Pokéball to his belt. Pikachu hops on his shoulder, & Jay turns towards his parents.

"Goodbye, Mom & Dad. I will miss you", says Jay, now starting to feel emotional. Darshan & Aarti come closer to him & hug him. Pikachu jumps off Jay's shoulder in time, before he gets crushed. "Take care, Jay. And please call us every day", says Darshan, feeling sad seeing his son go. "Goodbye Jay", says Aarti, with tears in her eyes. Time does keep flowing. It feels as if Jay was just born & the next moment, he is leaving for his journey. Jay hugs back his parents & they share a family hug. After sometime, they break away from the hug.

"Goodbye, Mom & Dad", says Jay, as Pikachu jumps up on his shoulder again.

"Goodbye, Jay", his Parents reply in unison, Darshan with a neutral look, & Aarti with tears in her eyes.

Taking a one last look at his Parents, Jay approaches the door. He opens the door & steps outside, after which he closes it. He did it. He is finally going on an adventure now. Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts, Jay turns towards Pikachu & asks, "Ready, buddy?"

"Pika!" says Pikachu enthusiastically. He was waiting for this for almost his entire life.

"Then Let's Go Pikachu!" says Jay enthusiastically, as he starts moving towards the elevator.

Back in the house, Aarti is still staring at the door, with tears in her eyes. Darshan has his hand around her shoulder, & Aarti's head is resting on his shoulder. Darshan tries to comfort her by softly pressing her shoulder with his hand.

"Kids do grow fast," says Aarti, as she stares at the door.

"Yeah. It feels as if he was just born yesterday," replies Darshan, as he too stares at the door.

"I hope he stays safe", she wishes, as slowly the flowing tears stop.

"He has his Pokémon with him. He would be safe", says Darshan.

"This leaves just you & me in our home. I know it won't feel lively now, but let's try our best to keep it lively", says Aarti, as she turns towards Darshan. Kids always make home lively.

"I got a great idea for that", says Darshan, topping it with a wink, & showing her what's inside his business bag.

A huge smile slowly spreads over Aarti's face. "Really, you DO KNOW how to make people happy", says Aarti, adding her own wink to it.

The next moment we see them, we find them watching some kids show on the TV while having their dinner, made tastier by the 'Mago Berry Blast' ice cream.

Some adults never grow up.

* * *

**Points To know about Meluha -**

(*1*) A Meluhan Nurse Joy wears a plain, baby pink, single piece, knee-length dress, with a white lab-coat, & a white nurse cap. The nurse cap, the left pocket of the coat, & the left side of the dress, has a Pokéball logo, the official logo of the league. The hair style is same as the Nurse Joys across the world, but the height & the skin tones of every other Nurse Joy differs in some way, making it easy to distinguish between them.

(*2*) A Meluhan Lotad looks just like a normal lotad; the only difference is the shape of their Leaf-head. A Meluhan Lotad has a Lotus leaf instead of a Water Lily leaf on it's head.

(*3*) This system came into being after protests by the Nursing & the Officer community, which deemed cloning 'baseless & useless'; because, it caused unemployment in the region, given the high population of the region. After conducting research & surveys about it, the League Commission & the Government concluded that the system is useless in a region like Meluha, due to its very high population. The system causes unemployment, & is wastage of time & money. So, the government decided to use Plastic Surgery instead of cloning, so as to keep up with the tradition of similar faces. Plastic Surgery will also help people distinguish between any two of the Nurse Joys & Officer Jennies, as the height & the skin tones of the Nurse Joys would differ. It will also save the government & the league a lot of money, which will then be used for development of the facilities provided by the league. So, in short, Government accepted the demands of the communities, as it saves a lot of money, & provides employment to a greater population. So, it was a win-win situation for the government & the communities, & hence the system came into being.

(*4*) Jay wears a white t-shirt, with a black & white sleeveless jacket on top of it. He wears navy blue denim jeans, & black & white colored sneakers. (Exclusive artwork is available on the twitter account of AshJasonAJ - Made by the one & only **IndianKnight**!

* * *

Author's Note –

**Ash Jason** – So… What about this chapter? Was it dark?

**IndianKnight** – YES IT WAS, **DARKRAI**!

**Ash Jason** – Hey! Don't call me a Darkrai! This chapter is much lighter than the previous one!

**IndianKnigh**t – Oh YEAH, then what's with that flashback, huh? Where we reveal the fate of Neil? Is that what you term as LIGHTER?

**Ash Jason** – Uh… well…

**IndianKnight** – Yeah… Yeah… I know you got no answer…

**Ash Jason** – Well, what more do you expect from the judiciary system? I don't think anything different can happen than this…

**IndianKnight** – Well technically, you are right. Neil got what he deserved. Justice was delivered. But still… can we tone it down a bit?

**Ash Jason** – I don't think we should actually tone it down. Don't you remember that we are LAZY?

**IndianKnight** – Oh, I almost forgot that! He… He… (Laughs sheepishly)

**Ash Jason** – Yeah, but let's try to balance the light & the dark elements in the future chapters… Just like we did in this chapter. I think this chapter was actually perfectly balanced!

**IndianKnight** – Maybe… Maybe not… Who knows?

**Thanos** – Perfectly balanced, as all things should be…

**IndianKnight** – Wait! What's Thanos doing here?

**Ash Jason** – Okay… Maybe this is getting crazy… But I think he's here to say whether this prologue is balanced or not…

**IndianKnight** – No! Maybe he's behind those infinity stones again!

**Ash Jason** – But didn't he destroy those stones with the power stones?

**IndianKnight** – But he's still alive, dummy! This means that the stones are somewhere out there!

**Ash Jason** – You are right! We better collect those before he does… or we all are sure to die!

**IndianKnight** – Come on, hurry! Let's go!

We hope you enjoyed the chapter. We will try to release the next prologue ASAP. Also, do not forget to check out the artwork for this story, created by the one & only IndianKnight! It's available on the Twitter handle of AshJasonAJ!

_What happens next with Jay? How will his adventure begin? Will everything go smooth, or will something unexpected happen? Who's Daniel Osaka? What does this region has in store for all of us? Stay tuned to find out more about the mysterious & majestic region of Meluha! Bye for now!_

**© Ash Jason. (OC Background, Story Artwork, Plot elements)**

**© IndianKnight. (OC Artwork, Story Artwork, Plot elements)**

**© The Pokémon Company International. (Rest of the characters & assets)**


	3. Prologue 3:P1 - Cinnabar Island Mayhem

**Pokémon – ADVENTURES IN MELUHA**

_By – IndianKnight & Ash Jason_

PROLOGUE 3 – PART I

Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry for the late update, but you see, we were sort of busy with our lives. We have provided a viable explanation for our sudden disappearance in the Author's note at the end of the chapter. To compensate for our absence, we've brought to you the most epic & craziest chapter we've ever wrote till date. Get ready for an action-packed, thrilling & a crazy ride! We are going to encounter a few characters from the past, as we make our way through the first part of the prologue 3! We hope you like it! **– IK**

This chapter is set right after the Alolan League Championships. Ash, now the Champion of Alola, is returning to his home, the infamous Pallet Town. But there's a twist. There's no direct mode of transportation from Alola to the Pallet Town. So, Ash has to make a halt at the Cinnabar Island, a world-famous tourist destination in Kanto, known for its beaches & hot springs. We follow the eighteen year old Ash Ketchum, as he meets a few old companions & tackles the menace of the misadventurous Team Rocket Trio on his way back home. So without any further delay, let's begin! **– AJ**

* * *

_About One Month Ago…_

It's a bright day in the region of Kanto. Known as the land of the first Pokémon League, this region is home to a large number of Pokémon species. A beautiful land surrounded by some tricky mountains in the north & the majestic & tranquil seas in the south, this region is one of the hotbeds for all the Pokémon–related research, thanks to Professor Oak, one of the biggest authorities in the world of Pokémon Research in the world. Just a few hundred miles away from the mainland, lies a beautiful, volcanic & tourist-infested island. Known for its hot springs, sandy beaches & the sparkling seacoast, the Cinnabar Island is the #1 destination for the tourists in the Kanto region.

Since it's a bright day on the island city, it's obviously a busy day for all the residents, tourists & businesses of the Cinnabar Island. A bright day also means that the beaches are choke-full with tourists. It also means that the Cinnabar harbour is also littered with all kinds of ships & boats. But even with all these unwanted factors, people still are enjoying their day. The children are playing with their Pokémon on the beach, the adults are sunbathing, the couples are enjoying some fresh watermelon, some of the parents are helping their kids build sand castles & the elderly are sitting on the bench, enjoying & relaxing a few moments of their lives, while watching the joyous & happy surroundings. Occasionally, one can spot a Wailord surface above the ocean & use _**Water Spout**_. Every aspect of the beach seems to be beautiful & calming. No wonder why everyone loves to hit the beach. Everyone likes to enjoy the calming & soothing sound of the waves splashing on the beach; enjoy the blueness of the sky & the ocean; enjoy the soft wind as it blows through the city & obviously enjoy playing in the sparkly seawater.

In that same calm & cool sea, one can spot a huge cruise. The ship's coming towards the island. Aboard that ship is none other than Ash Ketchum, the wannabe Pokémon Master. A Pokémon trainer who was one of the finalists of the Kalosian Pokémon League. A Pokémon trainer which defeated Two Legendary Pokémon with his party of Non-legendary Pokémon. A Pokémon trainer known for the countless times he saved the world from different kinds of dangers. A Pokémon trainer, who recently won the first Alolan Pokémon League. Currently, the Pallet Town native's returning from the islandic region of Alola, after completing the trials & winning the Alolan Pokémon League.

"Pika Pi, Pika Pikachu!" says the inseparable yellow buddy of Ash, while pointing toward the now-close island.

"You're right, Pikachu! We're almost there!" says Ash while leaning over the railing of the ship, with stars in his eyes. Seeing this island always makes him nostalgic. He still remembers the thrilling Gym match he had with Blaine on this island, as if he was still that ten year old kid who was still travelling through the Kanto region. That final showdown between his Charizard & Blaine's Magmar was something he would never forget. Not to mention those crazy riddles he had to solve to find Blaine's gym. (Yeah, he knows he was not the one who solved it, but still… The point is, the riddles were CRAZY. Damn, he misses her & Brock.) Oh, those good old days of his naivety…

Just then, a static noise can be heard, which grabs the attention of our heroes. It's a noise from the ship's loudspeaker, signalling the activation of the announcement system on the ship.

"Dear passengers, the current time is 9 AM; and all the passengers are requested to get ready for the arrival at the Cinnabar Island Harbour. The last stop of the ship will arrive within fifteen minutes. Please be prepared to get off board! Get ready with your luggage & Pokémon before the ship gets docked. We hope you had a nice journey! Thanks for travelling with us!" the announcer announces. Ash & Pikachu take a quick last look towards the beautiful scenery of the island they were approaching.

"Alright Pikachu, let's go!" Ash exclaims. "Pika!" exclaims Pikachu, but suddenly he starts to feel not so good. He immediately gets down Ash's shoulder & rushes towards the edge of the railing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ash asks. But instead of a reply, he gets a disgusting & concerning scene to see. Pikachu just puked, right into the ocean. Oh Arceus… Pikachu's still seasick. Just when he thought that Pikachu's all well now, he gets to see this. Maybe from now on, he should avoid travelling through water for longer & extended durations.

"Hey buddy, are you alright?" asks Ash to his best friend. He obviously knows that he's not well, but still, it's always better to ask in such matters. "Pika", replies Pikachu, trying to sound affirmative, even after knowing that he can't lie to Ash.

"Pikachu, the first thing we gonna do after getting off the board is get you fixed up!" says Ash, genuinely concerned about Pikachu's wellbeing. "Chu", replies Pikachu, not resisting it this time. He generally avoids visiting Pokémon Centres, but this time, he seriously needs to get well soon. He hates to get seasick. It would be truly better if he got well soon.

Ash hands over some water & tissues to Pikachu. Pikachu takes it & gets cleaned up. Once after helping Pikachu get cleaned, Ash asks him joyously, "Ready to return home, Pikachu?" "Pika!" exclaims Pikachu with enthusiasm. They both are quite happy & excited to return to Kanto – their home region. It's always great to return to the land of your origin, especially after achieving something praiseworthy.

Ash & Pikachu soon return to their cabin, collect their luggage (The first thing he collects is his League Trophy, its better if he doesn't forget it on board. Afterall, he wants to complete his collection of trophies & badges with a proper league trophy) & get ready to get off the board. The ship soon gets docked into the shipyard, & all the passengers start to get off the board. Ash & Pikachu, joined by the other passengers; start walking down the ramp. As soon as Ash gets off the ramp, he spots all the ships & boats around him. The harbour seems to be more crowded than normal, today.

"Whoa! Look at all those ships, Pikachu! Today sure seems a busy day!" says Ash in awe, marvelling the sight of all the ships & boats in front of his eyes. But Pikachu's not paying attention to what Ash's saying; because he just puked for the second time in a row. But while he puked into the ocean again, he noticed something weird; or someone, to be exact. He's looking at a person, who seems to be familiar.

"Pika Pi! Pika Pikachu!" says Pikachu, pointing towards the exit. "Huh?!" says, Ash, as he turns around his head towards the exit. Near the exit, he spots a man dressed in a crazy, red & blue coloured outfit. The man's wearing a green-beaded necklace, round-lensed sunglasses & has long blonde hair. He seems to be talking to some young trainer with teal-coloured hair & a Luxray.

"Yeah, what about that man?" asks Ash. He has no idea who that man is, since he's a bit far from him. Just seems like yet another Cinnabar Island Resident who's advertising about his hotel or services. Not like the way Blaine did. Wait a sec… that man… his getup is just like Blaine's disguise… He also seems to be of the same height… does that mean… No, IT DOES MEAN, that man is none other than Blaine! Whoa! Blaine's here! It's really a pleasant surprise! But what is he doing near the harbour? As far as Ash knows, Blaine likes to stay inland, searching for potent & worthy trainers near the tourist centres. So, what's his deal today? Why is he near the harbour? Let's find out!

"Hey Blaine!" Ash calls out. The sudden mention of his name startles Blaine, & the next moment, he's gone. In his place is nothing but fresh sea breeze.

The sudden disappearance of Blaine baffles Ash. Where did he go? As long as he remembers, even during his last visit to the island (which was about eight years ago), Blaine had vanished multiple times in a similar fashion. Guess he has some kind of Psychic Pokémon which can use _**Teleport**_.

The young trainer & the Luxray, too; get baffled by the sudden disappearance of the old man. The trainer shrugs it off soon after accepting the fact that either the old man was strange or it's probably a hallucination. Trainers should stay away from such crazy thoughts & mentality; or their Pokémon might get affected by such thoughts too. Such thoughts & mentality clouds the judgement of a Pokémon during a battle & affects their speed & accuracy, too. So, the trainer walks out of the exit, probably towards the Pokémon Centre to enquire about the whereabouts of the Cinnabar Island Gym.

"Pika…" Pikachu sweatdrops. Blaine's really weird afterall. He teleported just because someone called out his name. "Well Pikachu, looks like that man was definitely Blaine", says Ash. Yeah, that man's definitely Blaine. No doubt in that. "Anyways, let's get to the Pokémon Centre!" says Ash. It's better to reach the Centre as soon as possible. Ash can't let his best buddy suffer anymore. With a green signal from Ash, Pikachu hops onto Ash's shoulder & they start walking down towards the exit.

* * *

_Few Hours before Ash arrived on the Cinnabar Island…_

It has been at least a couple of days since the last time they saw a piece of land. They were already out of supplies. They barely had water to drink, even if they were currently surrounded by water from all the sides. Their already miserable conditions were getting empowered by their uncontrollable hunger. They were parched & famished. If James hadn't wasted all their water & food supplies in getting rid of those hungry Sharpedos & Carvanhas, their condition would have been much better than their current condition.

"I promise you, James. Once we get back on the land, I gonna throw you back into the ocean!" shouts Jessie.

"But WHY, Jessie? Didn't I help you get rid of those pesky & savage Sharpedoes & Carvanhas?! Shouldn't you thank me INSTEAD?!" retaliates James.

"Oh, why should I? Just because of you, we are in the middle of the ocean, probably floating away in a wrong direction without any food or water. Tell me, who's responsible FOR THAT?" Jessie continues her barrage of abhorrent statements.

"Oh REALLY, then tell me who was the one to suggest the GREAT idea that we take a raft instead of some luxurious boat? Heck, we could have sneaked onto that cruise, through which that Twerp was supposed to travel back home! Wait, we could also have returned to Kanto via flight! Then why are we travelling using a raft?" counters James.

"Don't you remember that we were running low on resources? We already used our monthly allowance on those fancy machines which we designed to capture that Twerp's Pikachu! It was not possible for us to afford any Boat or flight tickets! And about sneaking onto that boat, I just felt that it wasn't a great idea", clarifies Jessie.

"Seriously?! We have successfully used that idea plenty of times BEFORE! We could have pulled it off easily! Wait a sec… This means, we are suffering through all of this, all THANKS TO YOU!" blames James.

"Yeah Mr. Genius, where was your not-so-dim-witted brain at the time when we were planning all of this? And yeah, we have passed through such conditions before & we survived each & every time! We would have survived this time too, had if you not wasted our food! It's because of you that we are going TO DIE!" questions Jessie infuriatingly, while retaliating to the nefarious statements of James.

"Nah, it's because of you that we are going to die!" counters James.

"No! It's your fault!"

"No, it's yours!

"It's your fault!"

"Yours!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

"Stop it, ya imbeciles!" Meowth finally speaks, rather shouts. He was silent till now because he wanted to conserve his energy. But, it's now getting out of his hands. If they continue to fight like this, he's sure that they will rather drown each to death rather than die of starvation. "We're already low on da food, & y're wastin' yer energy in yellin' at each other! I am damn sure that y're da biggest numbskulls in da whole world!", shouts & insults Meowth angrily, trying to help James & Jessie realise the fact that yelling at each other will do no good to them.

"Who are YOU calling A NUMBSKULL? A good-for-nothing cat, who gets defeated by a rat almost every single day?!" retaliates Jessie with a truly insolent statement.

"Oh REALLY, am I da ONLY ONE who gets defeated by that PARTICULAR mouse? In fact, it's because of yer dumb plans that we have to face defeat ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME!" requites Meowth. How dare did Jessie mention that Pikachu? Why does she have to hurt him like this?

"MY PLANS ARE NOT FAILURES!" snorts Jessie. This is way too much. Why do they always accuse Jessie whenever they fail? First off, these guys can't suggest a proper plan. Secondly, if Jessie suggests a proper plan, they always find a way to ruin it one or the other way. And last but not the least, whenever Team Rocket fails, these guys always start accusing her. She won't tolerate it anymore.

"THEY ARE! They are huge failures! As huge as the Wailord which is right behind us!" says Meowth, emphasising the size of their failures, while noticing the not-so-unnoticeable Pokémon rising above the ocean surface.

"Before comparing them with a Wailord, remember; they are OUR FAILURES! Wait WHAT?!" clarifies Jessie, just before realising what Meowth just said. Jessie, James & Meowth turn towards the direction of the arising Wailord. It was indeed a Wailord. A really HUGE Wailord. Wait, that Wailord isn't some rare, extremely huge Wailord; it's actually extremely close to the Raft!

"Uh-oh", says James. It's over. They are a done deal.

"That Wailord's really close", says Meowth, while staring at the nearby danger.

"And it's moving! That too in our direction!" Jessie panics internally.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the Team Rocket Trio shouts in a unison, out of sheer fear, while hugging each other tightly. Suddenly, a Pokéball opens up, releasing the trusty & loyal Wobbuffet of Team Rocket. Wobbuffet does its signature salute & joins his companions in freaking out, rather than helping them out.

It's over. They are going to die; & that too by neither getting drowned nor starving to death. They are going to die by dissolving into the acid present in the Wailord's belly. Meowth was right. They will definitely die by drowning INTO ACID rather than by hunger. Speaking of hunger, the Wailord seems to be hungry.

This Wailord has been wandering here & there for quite a while now. So far, the day was not lucky for it. Every time it tried to catch a prey, the prey either escaped or outsmarted it. But now, finally, it can enjoy its BREAKFAST, that too in the form of two polluters & two delicious-looking, land Pokémon!

The Wailord slowly starts moving towards the Raft. The Team Rocket trio is stunned way too much by the sudden appearance of the hungry Wailord that one would say that they've developed the 'PARALYSIS' status effect. Not wanting to waste its chance this time, the Wailord swims swiftly & swallows its prey in a single gulp, while the sound of the wailing Team Rocket slowly fades as they enter into the Float Whale Pokémon's Belly.

Guess Team Rocket's gonna melt this time, rather than getting blasted off with Killer Pokémon Moves.

* * *

_**Conversation of Authors -**_

**Ash Jason** – Like REALLY, How ON THE EARTH DO they survive SO MANY life-threatening attacks?

**IndianKnight** – OBVIOUSLY Bro, they are omnipotent & immortal superhumans!

**Ash Jason** \- Uh… I think there should be some much more SCIENTIFIC REASON behind it, like using parachutes & stuff…

**IndianKnight** – Well, its Anime bro. Science & logic seldomly work in them. And about your reasoning; Yeah, that can definitely save them from getting hurt after they blast off in almost every episode; but that doesn't explain THEIR IMMUNITY for explosions & electric shocks, WHICH are generally the REASON for their BLAST OFF; does it? And by the way, Scientific & Logical Reasoning sounds really boring in such cases… IMMORTALITY sounds MUCH MORE COOL!

**Ash Jason** – He… He… He… I never considered that fact… This means, YOU ARE RIGHT! They INDEED ARE IMMORTAL!

* * *

Currently, its 10 AM in the region of Kanto & our heroes are currently walking down the street, towards the Pokémon Centre. As they walk down the street, Ash observes his surroundings. Everything seems to be almost similar, just like it was all those years ago. Those hotels where he tried to get accommodation, those souvenir shops, those restaurants and even those hot spring photo cut-outs were almost similar. He felt as if time never passed on this island. Heck, he still feels as if he's still ten years old. But he has to accept the hard fact. He's not a kid anymore. He has grown up. He's more than eighteen years old now. He's officially an adult now. He will have to settle down soon. Soon, he will have to marry, too.

"Pika!" Pikachu cries out signalling that they have reached the Centre. A single squeak from his best buddy is enough to wake him up even from the deathbed. Ash immediately looks ahead. Guess they have already reached the Pokémon Centre. "Alright Pikachu, Let's get you fixed up!" says Ash to his partner. "Pikachu", replies Pikachu. It would be better if he gets well soon.

Ash soon enters into the Pokémon Centre. As he enters the Pokémon centre, the first thing which his eyeballs capture is tourists. Great. As expected, the Pokémon Centre is choke-full of Tourists. Heck, even the waiting lobby is full with people, keeping aside the fact that the resting lobby is already filled with tourists & maybe some trainers on break. There's not a single empty seat for anyone to sit. Ash sweatdrops. Guess it won't be easy to heal Pikachu afterall.

After deciding to ignore the tourists & try to focus on getting his job done, Ash soon approaches the main counter where Nurse Joy was standing. Ash spots a poster of a Chansey, posted on a wall to the right side of the table, which is also the area where the waiting lobby is. Ash then looks towards the Nurse Joy. She seems to be tired & stressed out. Looks like she is having a really hard time, managing all the visitors & health services.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy, can I…" Ash tries to ask, but before he can complete his statement, Nurse Joy, without even looking towards Ash, answers out immediately, "If you are looking for a room, then I am really sorry. We don't have any rooms left & all the rooms for the next three months are booked!" & then she immediately turns towards a Chansey standing behind her, to whom she asks the report of the Pokémon of a trainer with a Luxray. It seems as if the Trainer's Pokémon are seasick too. Wait a sec… he saw a trainer back on the port with a Luxray… so, can they be the Pokémon of that trainer? Who knows? The Pokémon can be of some other trainer, too! Anyways, let's get back to business.

"But Nurse Joy, I want to get my Pikachu healed! He has been seasick for a few days by now!" explains Ash. He needs to get him healed immediately. "Oh, I am really sorry. It's just that I am currently in a lot of pressure & stress. The workload has increased drastically today. It's a sunny day, the tourists have flocked in, the other Nurse Joys are on leave; and I am the only Nurse Joy available today & I have to manage every single service all alone, on my own. It's getting really hectic today", answers Nurse Joy in a stressed out tone, finally taking a look at Ash, but not recognizing him. She's really tired & stressed due to her work. She truly needs a break. Why do all the other Nurse Joys have to take a leave on the same day?! Heck, she has been working without a leave for at least a week by now; & today when she finally wanted to take a leave, all the other Nurse Joys had already submitted their leave applications by the time she reached to submit hers. It's really frustrating! She truly needs a break!

"Anyways, Chansey, bring a small sized stretcher & admit this trainer's Pikachu", commands Nurse Joy to her Chansey, in a stressed out tone. "Chansey!" replies Chansey with a salute, & she leaves to get a stretcher. Her Nurse Joy's already stressed. She has to take care of her & ensure that she won't get more stressed out.

Ash feels sympathy for the poor Nurse Joy. He feels an instinctive urge to help her out of this mess. "Hey Nurse Joy, can I help you out? I mean, I can help you with all your chores! I do know a bit about healing Pokémon, & I can obviously help you around with the Room Service! So, will you let me help you?"

"That's really sweet of you, trainer with a Pikachu; But No thanks. You see, I have to learn to manage all this stuff on my own", replies Nurse Joy sweetly. She can't take help from anyone else. She has to learn to manage all her chores & stress on her own. That's a part of her training as a Nurse Joy.

"But Nurse Joy, that's not fair! Please let me do something for you!" protests Ash. That's not fair at all! She really needs some help! How is she going to manage all of this on her own?!

But before Nurse Joy can reply, Chansey arrives near the counter with a small-sized stretcher. She signals Pikachu to hop on the stretcher & Pikachu complies with the orders. Once after lying down on the stretcher, Chansey starts pushing the stretcher towards the check-up lab. "Get well soon, Buddy", says Ash to his pal. "Pika Pikachu Chu, Pi Pika", replies Pikachu, assuring that he will get well soon, while he enters into the check-up lab with Chansey.

Ash sighs. Let's hope that Pikachu gets well soon. "Hey trainer with a Pikachu, it's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be fine soon; for me, you, your buddy & everyone. Just trust in Arceus. He will fix up everything soon", says Nurse Joy in a hopeful voice. "Yes, let's hope for the best & prepare for the worst. Never give up until the end!" replies Ash, with his signature motto. His optimism levels have received a boost thanks to his recent win in the Alolan League. But this time, something seems to be off about Kanto. In the past, whenever he returned after finishing in the top 8, or top 4 of the league, he always received some praise or following from the people of Kanto. Heck, he always received a grand welcome anywhere he went after competing in those leagues. Especially when he ended up as a runner-up of the Kalos League, he was felicitated by many organizations of Kanto. Heck, even the government of Kanto felicitated him for his efforts in the league. It's weird that no one is flocking around him this time for his autograph, or has praised him for his achievements. Heck, no one has even mentioned about it since he got off-board.

Just then, a telephone kept on the counter starts to ring, which breaks out Ash from his thoughts. Nurse Joy immediately picks up the phone & answers, "Hello, Welcome to Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre. How may I help you?" The person on the other side of the phone speaks something, to which Nurse Joy replies, "Yes sir, it's done. I will try to send it soon. Have a nice day!" & ends the call. She then turns towards Ash & says, "So trainer with a Pikachu, do you really wanna help me?" "Yup! I want to!" replies Ash. It's great that Nurse Joy is finally asking him for help!

"Okay, you see, I have to deliver a parcel to Hotel Riddle Inn. The owner of the parcel is busy with something, so it's not possible for him to retrieve his parcel on his own. He has asked me to deliver it to his Hotel. Would you please do that for me?" requests Nurse Joy. "Sure! I will deliver it to Blaine!" accepts Ash joyfully. "Shhhhhh! Do not speak that loudly about it. Blaine doesn't like to reveal his details. And by the way, how do you know that the hotel is of Blaine?" hushes Nurse Joy. She remembers an incident that happened a few years ago. A Nurse Joy mistakenly revealed the details of Blaine to a trainer. And Blaine, being an eccentric & a secretive old man, got her transferred under the context of Gym Leader's Secrecy Rule, which states that NO Pokémon League Official is allowed to reveal the details of a Gym Challenge to any non-Pokémon League Member. And she's wise enough not to commit any mistake like that one.

"Okay! I will deliver them for you! And yeah, I know Blaine because I defeated him about seven years ago!" says Ash in a low voice after Nurse Joy corrected him. He should also follow the rules of secrecy. Afterall, he's a champion now & what would be the fun of winning the gym badge if someone already revealed the challenge?

"Thanks for your help! Here you go!" says Nurse Joy, as she gets hold of a box kept under the counter. She hands over the box to Ash, which Ash keeps in his bag neatly. "You can count on me Nurse Joy! I will deliver it to the destination safely!" assures Ash. "Thanks for helping me out, trainer with a Pikachu! By the way, please drop by the Pokémon Centre by 8 PM to collect your Pikachu!" says Nurse Joy. "Sure! Bye Nurse Joy! And by the way, my name's Ash Ketchum, & I am from Pallet Town!" says Ash, & he sets off towards Hotel Riddle Inn.

As soon as he exits the Pokémon Centre, Nurse Joy reaches for her phone & calls Blaine to inform him. As soon as Blaine picks up the phone, Nurse Joy says, "Hello, I am speaking from Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre. Your Parcel's on the way. I have sent it with a generous boy named Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. He might reach there soon. Please check it neatly before you accept it. Have a nice day!" But before she can get any reply, her call gets ended abruptly. "Huh?! What's wrong with the phone now?" she thinks, as she tries to figure out what happened with her phone. She tries to dial a few numbers, but the phone gives no response. She checks a few wires, but everything seems to be fine. Then what can possibly be wrong?

* * *

Getting Pikachu healed was relatively easier than what Ash originally thought. Currently, he's climbing up the volcanic mountain of the Cinnabar Island. As long as he remembers, the Hotel Riddle Inn is located near the central part of the volcano. He still clearly remembers the last time he visited Blaine's hotel. He, Brock & Misty were travelling through a cruise. They were heading towards the Cinnabar Island. He wanted to win The Cinnabar Island Gym badge. Those times when Gary shunned him, behaved with them cockily & flaunted his snooty attitude; the large number of hotels they visited to search for accommodation, the over-population of tourists which marred the coolness of the Pokémon Centre & Lab (Science's So Amazing!); the supposed fun Misty had while trying to solve the riddles, the actual fun they had in the Gym battle & in Blaine's Hotel; the funny, quirky & awkward moments they faced during their stay on the island; He remembers them all, as if he was still that ten year old naive kid from Pallet Town. Oh those good old days…

Ash soon reaches near the Hotel Riddle Inn.

He's finally here. After more than eight years, he's back to the place where he learned about the true potential of fire-type Pokémon; A place, where he learned about the importance of food & shelter; a place, where he learned about something appreciable about Misty & her talents. Oh Arceus… He does miss her & Brock. He will definitely try to meet them this time for sure.

After making a mental note of contacting them as soon as possible, Ash rings the bell of the inn. As he impatiently waits for Blaine, he takes a look at his surroundings. The lush green trees, the reddish pink coloured roof, the clock which jutted out of the roof… everything seems to be just as same as it was all those years ago. Especially the hands & the edge of the clock – They are still shiny & silvery in colour.

Just then, Ash hears the sound of the door getting opened. As expected, he spots a man with long blonde hairs (Blaine's wig), flashy red coloured shirts & trousers, with a blue & yellow coloured border, & a green beaded necklace, standing near the door.

"Welcome, O tourist! What is a place where you can live, but it's not your home; A place where you can eat, but it's still not your home; A place where you can relax, but you have to pay for relaxing. Tell me what it is!" says Blaine, in his typical, riddling fashion.

"Oh come on Blaine, you can drop the act! I am not a tourist! I am a proper Pokémon trainer! Don't you remember me? I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! I defeated your Magmar with my Charizard almost eight years ago!" says Ash as politely as he can, not wanting to listen to anymore of Blaine's riddles. He already had his fill during his Kanto journey. But what if Blaine actually doesn't remember him? Afterall, Blaine's older than Professor Oak, who himself is quite forgetful. Or what if this man is not at all the person who he wants to meet? What if this guy is someone else, impersonating Blaine's disguise?

"I know for sure, Champion of Alola! I am just testing out your memory!" says the Mystery Man, as he removes his funky wig & round, golden-framed sunglasses to reveal his true identity. Ash sighs in relief. Indeed, this guy's Blaine, & he does remember him. "But anyways, what's the answer for my riddle? And where's that infamous Pikachu of yours?" asks Blaine curiously. Yeah, he has heard the tales of the Raven-haired Trainer with a Pikachu, an inseparable duo who are a force to be reckoned with. But where is his partner? And how dare he doesn't answer his riddle?!

"Well," Ash sweatdrops. He has no idea about the answer for Blaine's riddle. A place where you can live? Home! But Blaine said that it's not home… So, can it be a friends' home? Yeah, you can even relax & eat at a friend's home! And some of those bastard friends even make you pay for it later! Yup! That should be the answer! "The answer's a friend's home… I guess?" Ash says sheepishly, but happy with the fact that at least Blaine remembers him & knows about his recent achievements. But Blaine… well, he falls down in Anime-style at Ash's answer. Ash's still naïve, even after winning a League. Arceus knows when he's gonna grow up for the greater good.

"That's not supposed to be the answer, Ash. The answer is a Hotel! The place where you are currently standing!" says Blaine exasperatedly. He seriously can't believe that this dork is a Champion of a region. "He… He… Sorry, My bad," says Ash sheepishly, while rubbing his back of the head. Yeah, he knows he's not that bright, but that's where his friends & companions come into the play! But yeah, sometimes he seriously feels the need to have someone intelligent like Misty by his side for dealing with all the brainwork.

Blaine sighs. Kids these days seem to be more interested in digital devices than actual knowledge & logical reasoning. "Anyways, I suppose that you have something for me… Right? Please come in!" reminds Blaine, getting back to the actual reason of Ash visiting his hotel & invites him inside his hotel.

"Sure!" says Ash, as he accepts the offer happily. Ash enters into the hotel, where Blaine escorts him to the dining area of the hotel. Three sets of dining tables with four chairs each rested in the room, with a white dining table cloth covering each of those tables. Few paintings of different landscapes & Pokémon rested on the walls. Just like the last time, the hotel seems to be empty, with probably no guests in the hotel. Ash & Blaine get seated on a table, placed near the entrance of the dining area.

Once after getting seated, Ash fishes out Blaine's parcel from his bag. "Here's your parcel, Blaine!" says Ash, as he hands it over to him. "Thanks Ash," replies Blaine, as he receives his parcel. He then opens the parcel to reveal a Pokéball, or an Ultra Ball, to be exact.

"Whoa! It's an Ultra Ball! What Pokémon is inside it?" Ash asks curiously, with glittery stars in his eyes. Blaine sweatdrops. Ash's quite nosy & childish. Guess it's time for another riddle! "It's as graceful as much as it's cunning. Don't go on its beautiful looks, because they can be deceiving. The tales of its tails are known across the world. It looks like a fluff ball, when it's curled. Guess who that Pokémon is?" riddles Blaine again.

This time, it's Ash's turn to fall down, in Anime style. Oh Blaine… Why can't you say anything straightforwardly? "Uh… I don't know, Blaine!" says Ash exasperatedly. "Come on Ash, never give up without trying!" encourages Blaine, as he puts the Pokéball into the left Pocket of his outfit. Asking such riddles is the only fun way to make this generation smarter; in a way they will love to do so!

"Uh…" Ash tries to think really hard, while still lying on the ground. What can be such a Pokémon? Which's beautiful, has infamous tales about… Uh… its deceiving looks & which looks cute when curled up… Is it a Jigglypuff? Hmmm… Yes… It can be a Jigglypuff!

"Maybe it's a Jigglypuff, cuz it looks beautiful but we shouldn't go on its looks, & it looks cute when curled! It's infamous for its Sleep-inducing lullaby-like singing!" Ash answers out with a jump, already feeling victoriously confident about his answer.

Blaine sighs. The next generation is not in safe hands, afterall. But at least this time, Ash tried; & he was almost close to the answer. Heck, he could have actually been right, hadn't he ignored the other details which he mentioned in the riddle. "Well Ash, your tried really well this time, but it's off the mark. The correct answer is… A Ninetales!" reveals Blaine in a dramatic manner.

"Aw man, I told you I suck at it, Blaine," says Ash dejectedly. He's fed up of these riddles. "Well, I won't argue much with that fact," says Blaine nonchalantly, receiving a shocked & a narrow-eyed look from Ash. "But such things make people smarter, Ash! Don't get disheartened at your losses. Learn from them, Ash! Because, failure always teaches you much more than success!" continues Blaine, trying to cheer up Ash, & teaching him an important life lesson.

"You are right, Blaine! Failures do teach us more than successes!" says Ash, as he gets nostalgic. No one knows this better than him. He has lost in like, how many leagues? Six?! And the countless times he has lost Pokémon battles… how can he forget about them? But yeah, he does know one thing for sure; every time he faced a loss, he never gave up. Instead, he always tried to identify the reasons for his loss. He tried to evaluate his actions & searched for any mistakes he committed while battling, so as to ensure that he won't make the same mistakes again. His list of failures is larger than his successes, but that's what makes him more experienced & intelligent in terms of Pokémon & Pokémon Battles, because failures always teach more than successes. It is also one of the prime reasons behind his win at the Alolan League.

"Now that we are on the topic of failures & successes, tell me Ash, how does it feel after becoming the champion of a region? By the way, Congratulations on your win in the first Alolan League & for becoming the first champion of Alola!" Blaine finally congratulates Ash. Truly speaking, he never expected a league in the region of Alola. That region is no better than the Cinnabar Island. It's also infested with tourists & tourism related stuff. One can say that the Cinnabar Island is a miniature version of the region of Alola. But anyways, it's always great to see new regions coming up with something new & something better for the development of the region & the world as whole.

"Well, Thanks Blaine!" Ash says sheepishly. Seriously, he's the first person from Kanto (other than his Mom & Professor Oak) who has congratulated him. "And yeah, it kinda feels awesome to be the champion of a region! I mean, that tag of 'champion' just makes me feel really great!" continues Ash, still finding it slightly hard to believe that he is actually a champion of a region.

"It always feels great, Ash. These tags, they always make you feel as if you've achieved greatness. But remember, Ash; true greatness is achieved only by humbleness & humility. You may or may not earn more of such tags, but the trust of people which you earn through your attitude & behaviour is your true achievement, & this trust is the only thing which will help you till the very end of your life. So, even if you are now a champion of a region, I would suggest you to stick on to your roots. Stay humble, stay calm, stay sharp. Because, the moment you let even a single ounce of pride enter into your attitude, that moment would mark the beginning of your end; both as a champion & as an ideal trainer." advices Blaine, sharing a lot of important philosophical & ethical information to the new champion. Yes, he has a lot of experience, & he would be more than happy if even a single bit of it benefits the next generation.

"Uh…" Ash sweatdrops. That was a lot of information for him to register in a single go. But yeah, Blaine's right. He won't let his success affect him in any manner! "Well… I will try my best, Blaine!" assures Ash. The best he can or anyone can do is try.

"Well, that's not much convincing, but it's okay," says Blaine, slightly dejected after hearing Ash's assurance. "Anyways, I have heard a lot about you & your Pokémon in the recent years; especially that unique Greninja of yours. I've also heard a lot about that bond phenomenon which you two share. But being a Fire-type expert, I am especially interested in your Infernape, whose **Blaze** ability is extremely powerful & stronger than a normal **Blaze**; Heck, your Charizard is no pushover either! It's one of the strongest Charizards that I have ever faced! Ash, you are truly blessed with amazing Pokémon. You are an equally amazing trainer too, who's capable of bringing out these hidden talents out of your Pokémon," continues Blaine, expressing his interest in Ash's Pokémon & praising Ash. Ash does have some strong & unique Pokémon, & he's an equally capable & amazing trainer!

"Thanks Blaine! But the credit solely goes to my Pokémon & their hard work!" replies Ash humbly. He's not awesome; his Pokémon are. And being the trainer of such awesome Pokémon is an honour for him.

"I would love to battle your Infernape someday," Blaine expresses his wish. "But I would definitely love to battle your Charizard once again! Afterall, we have a score to settle!"

"Sure! Let's have a rematch sometime soon!" replies Ash, already pumped up for a rematch. He won't lose to Blaine ever again!

"Heck, why don't we have a match today?" suggests Blaine. Yeah, they can have a match today! Even his today's schedule is totally empty – he has no gym matches lined up; so yeah, it's possible!

"Well, we can have a match today; but," Ash tries to say, but his reply gets interrupted by the ring of a telephone.

"Excuse me," says Blaine, as he gets up from his chair & rushes towards the table where the telephone is ringing.

Blaine soon picks up the telephone to answer the call. The call's from an unknown number, so Blaine decides to maintain his fake identity.

"Thanks for calling us! This is the Hotel Riddle Inn of the Cinnabar Island, an exquisite & ambient Hotel with calming Hot Springs & serene landscapes. How can I help you?" says Blaine in what Ash can term as the most polite & descriptive manner (which is total unnecessary, but it's generally what the hotel guys do for Arceus knows what reason).

"This is Nurse Joy speaking from the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre; we are under assault! I repeat we are under assault! It's an emergency! We need you, sir!" says the voice from the telephone in a panicked manner. Just then, a sound of explosion reverberates through the telephone, followed by a chilling silence, which is really concerning.

"Uh-oh…" is the only thing Blaine can mutter, as the phone slowly slips through his hand. Luckily, the phone drops onto its proper position.

"What's wrong, Blaine? Is everything alright?" Ash asks Blaine immediately after observing Blaine's expression of concern & horror. Something's definitely wrong.

"We've to leave. The Pokémon Lab & the Pokémon Centre is under attack" is the only thing Blaine says before he reaches for his Pokéballs.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Ash exclaims in shock. The lab & the Centre are under attack? Oh, not another déjà vu. He has had enough of that feeling!

"Yeah, get ready. It's probably Team Rocket again. That dreaded terrorist organization never gives a pause to its nefarious deeds", says Blaine as he puts his hand into the right pocket of his outfit. Blaine pulls out a Great Ball from his pocket & presses the button on it. A bluish white light shoots out of the Great Ball, which materializes into a yellowish brown Pokémon with pointy ears, long & not-so-ignorable moustache, & a star on its forehead. It's none other than the infamous Psi Pokémon, Kadabra.

"Kadabra!" the Psi Pokémon shouts out. It's show time! She always loves to _**Teleport**_!

"Ash, Kadabra; get ready. We've to Teleport to the Pokémon Centre of The Cinnabar Island. There's an emergency out there."

"Kadabra!" Kadabra exclaims, signalling her readiness. She's more than happy to _**Teleport**_ around!

"I am ready, Blaine!" Ash signals his readiness, too. So Blaine's got a Kadabra. His suspicion was correct, afterall. Well, Blaine's little secret is out now!

"Alright Kadabra, use _**Teleport**_!" commands Blaine. Kadabra complies, & within an instant, the trio vanishes into thin air with a bright flash, leaving the dining area lifeless.

"Jigglypuff!" says a certain Pokémon who loves to sing, as it enters into the dining area. She has a mic-shaped marker in her hands.

Apparently, the dining area's not lifeless anymore. Or at least she won't let it turn lifeless. It's time to make this place livelier with her concert practice!

"Jiggly… puff… jiggly… eee… puff…"

* * *

Bliss. Heavenly bliss.

That's what Meowth's experiencing, as he ate some tasty looking fishes.

Never did he ever feel so light, so free & so blissful in his entire life. Who wouldn't like a place full with unlimited, tasty fishes & beautiful, encaptivating & HOT Meowths?! Not to mention that he can actually fly now! Thanks to this feeling of weightlessness, he can now actually float around & fly freely like all those majestic flying-type Pokémon! This is more than a dream come true! This is purely HEAVENLY!

As Meowth starts to float around the heavenly place, watching all the HOT Cats smiling, winking & blowing flying kisses at him, he starts to feel something which he never felt before.

He feels freedom.

For the first time ever in his life, he feels freedom. Free from all bounds. No more Team Rocket. No more Jessie & James. No more Twerps & their overpowered Pokémon. No more problems. Just pure peace & bliss. He loves this heavenly feeling of weightlessness & freedom. Heavenly… Yeah… he's truly in heaven…

Wait?! Does that mean that he's DEAD?!

The bitter realization finally dawns into his head. Oh no… No… NO! This can't be happening! He can't die this easily! He still has to prove his worth to the world! He still has to accomplish his goal of becoming the top cat of Team Rocket! He still hasn't accomplished his goal of overthrowing Giovanni's Persian from the position of the top cat & then mock that Persian to the point that it leaves Team Rocket forever! Heck, he hasn't even married yet!

That's the moment when he finally realizes the importance of his life. That's the moment when he realizes that he still has a lot to accomplish. He immediately stops floating & lands down on the cloudy, fluffy & misty ground of the heaven.

"O divine creator, da invincible Arceus! Please give me one last chance! Please lemme prove ma worth to da mortal world!" Meowth pleads while kneeling, with his hands clasped together, tightly. But nothing happens. Neither does Arceus shows up, nor does any other legendary Pokémon.

"O great & majestic alpha of da universe, please listen to ma pleads!" Meowth pleads once again. Still no response.

"O omnipotent & da one-above-all creator of dis magnificent & vast universe, a small part of yer creation begs for yer mercy!" Meowth begs, with tears now starting to form in his eyes. But sadly, looks like Arceus is in no mood of responding to his pleads.

After waiting for few minutes & getting no reply, the barrier of Meowth's tears breaks down & Meowth slumps on the ground. Meowth starts to wail loudly.

"WHAAAAAAAAA! I'm sorry Arceus! From now on, I will value ma life! I promise that I would never complain about anything! Just give me one last chance! I want to show da world who's da best Meowth out there! PLEASE! JUST ONE LAST CHANCE!" Meowth cries out, while wailing.

Still nothing happens.

Meowth continues to splatter the fluffy ground with his tears. He always desired for a place in heaven, but never desired it to happen before the completion of his goals. Suddenly, he hears a really loud noise. He immediately looks up just to find himself surrounded by all the HOT cats & tasty fishes he has seen till date. His desires have encircled him from all the sides.

"Meowth, don't you want us?" his desires ask in unison.

"NO!" replies Meowth. He's done with his desires. He wants his life back.

"But we are what you've desired your entire life!" his desires try to reason with him.

"I desire my life more than my desires!" Meowth replies, finally understanding the importance of his life.

"But now, there's no turning back for you!" his desires say in an evil tone, as they suddenly start to merge into a single entity.

"Huh?!" Meowth mews out in surprise & terror as he sees his desires merge to form something huge.

That something huge is something Meowth never wanted to turn into reality. It was his worst nightmare.

That thing… is a Wailord-size Pikachu, with its back pointing towards Meowth.

"PIII… KAAA!" says that monstrosity of a Pikachu in a cold, terrifying, & an almost maniac tone, while turning towards Meowth.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Meowth screams out in sheer terror as he sees his worst nightmare come true.

Slowly, the fishy Pikachu starts moving towards Meowth. With its every step, it transforms the blissful heaven into a dark abyss, full of negativity. With its every step, Meowth tries to slide away from his nightmare. With its every step, Meowth finds it more & more difficult to face his worst nightmare.

As soon as the monstrous Pokémon locks onto its target, it starts moving rapidly towards its target. Meowth, after seeing his nightmare pick up pace, finds himself frozen in his place. He's petrified to the point that one would say that he is affected by the 'FROZEN' status effect, even without getting hit by an ice-type move. Is it PARALYSIS, then? Can Pikachu use _**Glare**_?

Meowth, now immobilized, awaits his apparent doom. It's over. Even his soul will now die a cruel death. The evil Pikachu, once after closing the distance, consumes its prey without hesitation.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" screams Meowth, as he enters into the dark abyssal mouth of the gargantuan Pikachu.

This is the end of Meowth; and his soul; and his story.

* * *

Or at least that's what he thought; when he assumed that he won't wake up ever again.

Or at least he never expected to wake up in an environment filled with putrid & horrendous stench.

Or at least he truly never expected to find himself surrounded by dead Remoraids, Magikarps, & whatnot water Pokémon.

The disgusting & disturbing scene around him is enough to make him scream once again.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Meowth technically continues his screaming. He's inside that nightmare's stomach! How much worse can it get anymore?

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" says an angry female voice really loudly. This voice seems to be familiar. Really familiar. Meowth stops screaming immediately after hearing that command.

"Whoa! Your voice does have some magical powers, Jessie! Why didn't you try to wake him up before?! We could have saved a lot of time!" says a familiar Male voice in awe. That's James voice!

"Well, I already told you that I was busy!" replies the female voice, which is apparently of Jessie! Yay! His partners-in-crime are alive! But why did that Pikachu devour his partners?

"But don't you think that waking up Meowth is much more important than cleaning your hair?!" questions James. Like really, is cleaning up one's hair THAT important? Meowth's screaming from the last past hour for Arceus knows what reason & all Jessie is concerned about is her hair!

"Oh! So why didn't you wake him up? Why do you always try to argue with me?!" counter-questions Jessie. James is starting this once again.

"Guys, aren't we supposed to be dead by now?" asks Meowth in a weak voice.

"Oh really, I don't even understand why are we quarrelling when we should actually be finding a way to survive!" retaliates James, paying no heed to what Meowth was saying.

"You should've never wasted our supplies on those Carvanhas & Sharpedoes!" Jessie brings up their original topic of debate, ignoring Meowth completely.

"We should've travelled on some luxurious ship, not on some wooden Raft, which is now no more visible!" retaliates James.

"Guys, are we inside that Pikachu's belly?" Meowth asks in a low voice again.

"We were out of supplies!" counters Jessie, still ignoring Meowth.

"You were out of your mind!" retorts James, ignoring Meowth like he's still unconsciously screaming.

Meowth had enough of this ignorance. The next moment we find Jessie & James clenching their faces with their hands, & Meowth standing on his two feet, with his claws out, & an irritated look on his face.

"Stop yer barmy blabbering, ya irritating idiots!" scowls Meowth, as he withdraws his claws back. He is done with their stupidity. Seriously, they can't even stop fighting even after a monstrous Pikachu ate them. "We need to find a way out of 'ere!", says Meowth, in a no-nonsense tone. He's seriously serious this time.

"Ow… You could've said it instead of using _**Fury Swipes**_ on us", says James, rubbing his face to soothe himself.

"I tried to do so, but ya kinda ignored me", snorts Meowth. No one likes to get ignored.

"Do it again, you foolish feline, & I promise that you won't be able to face anyone ever again!" snarls Jessie. How dare he scratch her beautiful face?

"Whatever. Let's find a way outta this nightmarish Pikachu. It's better if we get back to heaven, rather than stay inside da belly of this demonic Pikachu", says Meowth, still believing that all of them are actually dead & are currently in the realm of nightmares, where souls are tormented for the depraved deeds of their past lives.

"Are you crazy?" asks a surprised Jessie to Meowth. What's wrong with him? First he screams for an entire hour while being unconscious, then he gets up & uses fury swipes on their faces, & then he starts speaking about some heaven & a demonic Pikachu. Is he even in a proper mind-set?

"What now?" scowls Meowth. He's getting irritated now.

"Yeah Meowth, what's wrong with? First off, you shout like crazy while being unconscious; then suddenly you attack us when you become conscious again; & now you're talking about some nightmares & demonic Pikachu & stuff", says James in a concerned tone.

"Wait a sec… As long as I remember, we all died when we entered into that Wailord's mouth, & den I reached da heaven, where I got to see ma desires fulfilled, but den ma desires turned into a gargantuan Pikachu, which den devoured me… After which I woke up & found myself surrounded by ya & a pool of digested water Pokémon… Yeah, that's pretty much what happened with me", explains Meowth.

Jessie & James stare at Meowth blankly, after the revelation. Suddenly, both of them burst out of laughter. They literally roll over the floor while laughing.

"That's the most stupid dream I have ever heard about!" says James while laughing uncontrollably & banging the floor with his fist.

"Did you just say dream?!" Meowth looks at them, surprised. Was it really just a dream? It felt so real! Heck, he can see all those fishes he saw in the dream right around them!

"Yeah, you foolish feline, how in this world can it be possible to see all our desires get fulfilled?! Heck, how can we end up in heaven when we actually are in the Wanted List of more than Seven Regions?!" answers James.

Meowth breathes a sigh of relief. So they aren't dead. And NO fishy & evil Pikachu has consumed them. But what about this fishy place? "Yeah, den what about dis fishy place? Care to explain?" questions Meowth.

"We are still inside the Wailord! Can't you think of anything else other than getting defeated & devoured by Pikachus?! Meowth, you seriously need to visit some Pokémon Rehabilitation Centre!" Jessie finally manages to say out something. She's still laughing & rolling over the floor violently, as if Meowth just said the joke of the century.

"Stop it, Jessie! Enough of yer Mockery!" flares Meowth. He's done with his mockery.

"Nah Meowth, we can't stop laughing! It's just so funny to imagine a cat getting eaten up by a rat!" James laughs out. Oh, the irony…

Meowth can't take any more insults. They have mocked & offended him enough. It's _**Payback**_ time!

In sheer rage, Meowth charges his hands with dark energy & lunges forwards, towards his two laughing partners. Meowth's using _**Payback**_.

But before Meowth can hit them with any of his moves, Jessie & James move out of Meowth's trajectory by rolling out of his path. The _**Payback**_ misses its target & contacts with the Wailord's body instead, which sends the Dark energy surging through the floating whale Pokémon's body.

James & Jessie laugh together to mock Meowth even more. Meowth, blinded by the desire for revenge, charges another Payback & once again lunges towards Jessie & James. The duo once again dodges Meowth's attempt at attacking them by jumping out of the way. The Team Rocket Trio continue with their antics, while the Wailord now starts to feel not so good because of the dark energy from the attacks, which's now starting to hurt it.

Wailord now understands how much harmful these humans are, both for consumption & the environment. He should've never eaten those polluters. It's better if he gets rid of them.

For the umpteenth time, Meowth tries to hit the duo with his Payback. But for the umpteenth time, the duo dodges his attack by somersaulting into different directions.

"Meowth, its better if you give up," says James with a smirk. Although he's a bit tired by now thanks to all the dodging, he still can do this for the entire day.

"Yeah Meowth, I won't let you spoil my beautiful face again!" says Jessie, smirking just like James. They won't let Meowth to get them this time.

This angers Meowth even more. Never ever he had felt such an anger erupting within him. The anger-fuelled dark energy reaches to its peak & starts radiating out of his body. The dark energy, now in full control of Meowth's body, extends the claws of Meowth & braces for a new move. Meowth learned _**Night Slash**_!

The new composure, determination & confidence in Meowth's stance & body language, plus the look of sheer rage & darkness on Meowth's face, lowers the confidence of Jessie & James. Did Meowth just gain the ability to **Intimidate**? Is it even possible for a Meowth to learn **Intimidate**?

Meowth jumps towards the duo, which is stunned by the newfound dark side of Meowth. But before Meowth can reach near them, something unexpected happens. Wobbuffet, who was nowhere to be seen till now, suddenly pops out of its Pokéball (Apparently, Jessie had recalled it back into its Pokéball) & jumps in front of the duo. Within a blink of an eye, Wobbuffet activates its _**Counter**_ attack & takes the brunt of Meowth's Attack. Immediately, Wobbuffet releases twice the amount of energy he received from the attack & diverts it away from his friends. Undoubtedly, the diverted & empowered dark energy hits the Wailord right on its weak spot, sending highly-powerful dark energy surging through its body. The dark energy deals a heavy damage to the already distressed Wailord.

That's enough. He can't sustain it anymore. Time to get rid of these polluters for once & for all.

Meowth is shocked by what just happened. Did he lose his control? Did he just use _**Night Slash**_? Did Wobbuffet just save his friends from his dark persona? But before he can think of anything else, suddenly, the environment around them starts to shake violently.

"What's happening?" the Team Rocket Trio say in an unexpected & confused unison. Wobbuffet joins them by adding his own "Wobbuffet!" to the mix of the uncertainty, as it dodges a few stray Water Pokémon who seemed to be alive; but were actually moving because of the violent shaking.

Their unified question gets a Tsunami-sized answer. A literal Tsunami of what seemed like Water.

"Uh-oh," mutters Meowth, as Team Rocket observes the approaching wall of water. Their doom's inevitable.

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" they all shout in unison, as they get engulfed by the large volumetric flow of the liquid, which Team Rocket supposes to be Water (and luckily it is).

The next moment, we see the Wailord floating still on the calm ocean, small waves splashing over its body. But the Wailord looks restless, or he seems to be waiting for something to happen. The Wailord has had enough peskiness of those Polluters. Time to teach them a lesson.

The Wailord tries to concentrate & put some force on its belly. With just a few minutes of concentration, the floating whale Pokémon generates enough energy to use its signature move – _**Water Spout**_. Wailord smirks. (Can they?) It's show time. He always loves to use this move. It's his favourite!

Wailord Used _**Water Spout**_!

The water which he accumulated within his belly starts gushing out of his blowhole. And with that water, it flushes the Now-completely drenched & irritating Team Rocket out of its body. The sheer force of one of the most powerful Water-Type Attack is enough to send the trio flying away.

"We are never going to use rafts ever again!" complains James, as he travels through the air in a curled up pose. He doesn't want to let that matter go.

"And Meowth's never going to unleash his Dark Side ever again!" commands Jessie to Meowth. She doesn't want to see that Terrorizing side of Meowth ever again. Not at least while she's flying.

"Hey look! There are fishes around us! And I can fly too! YAY! I am back in heaven!" exclaims Meowth with a dreamy expression on his face, as he observes some of the dead Water Pokémon who got thrown out of the Wailord just as they got thrown out of it. He's still in his 'heavenly, blissful dreams'.

"Shut up, Meowth!" both Jessie & James yell out simultaneously on Meowth. They are done with his daydreaming.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Team Rocket shout in unison, as they fly above the Horizon, leaving a twinkle in the sky, as they vanish out of sight.

The Wailord, now finally satisfied after making his body polluter-free, slowly sinks down into the ocean, to continue his quest for food.

* * *

_**Conversation of Authors -**_

**IndianKnight **–THIS PART WAS CRAZY!

**Ash Jason** – ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!

**IndianKnight** – Especially that Monster Pikachu part of the Meowth's Heaven sequence; that was TOTAL INSANITY!

**Ash Jason** – Yup! It definitely is!

**IndianKnight** – By the way, since that Monster Pikachu was an amalgamation of Meowth's desires which are fishes & *coughs* female Meowths, it does technically mean that the Pikachu's fishy.

**Ash Jason** – Yup! The FUN was intended! Oh, I mean THE PUN was intended!

**IndianKnight** – You seriously need to stop watching Miraculous Ladybug. Those puns of Cat Noir are messing with your head, bro.

**Ash Jason** – Nah Sissy, I am PURR-ETY PAW-SITIVE about his puns. They are PURR-FECT & CLAW-SOME! Cuz I find them to be PUN-TASTIC & CAT-CHY!

**IndianKnight** – *facepalms* Just stop it. PLEASE!

**Ash Jason** – No I… I… I… I… I… can't stop… No I… I… I… I… I… CAN'T STOP… SO BABY PULL ME CLO-

**IndianKnight** – SHUT UP! *stomps her feet on Ash Jason's feet*

**Ash Jason** – OW! What was that for?

**IndianKnight** – One more pun, & the next target will be your face! (And I hate that song…)

**Ash Jason** – But that's not PUNNY! I mean FUNNY!

**IndianKnight** used _**Mega Punch**_! (Right on the face)

A critical hit! It's super effective!

**Ash Jason** fainted!

**IndianKnight** – He's dealt with. Now back to the actual story!

* * *

_Around 9 AM…_

It's about 9 AM in the region of Kanto. Even if the sun rose at around 6 AM, the actual day for the Local Business & tourism of the Cinnabar Island is just beginning. The tourists are now starting to flock up on the beach in more numbers to enjoy the beautiful & sunny day; while a few others are getting started with their shopping spree, as the souvenir & clothing shops are starting to open now.

The clean & sandy beach is almost full with tourists. It's not choke-full yet, but the amount of people hitting the beach today is surely higher than the other days. Among these tourists is a married couple, who is on a resort-owned, private beach to chill, relax & have some romance. This couple is none other than Hoenn's Dewford City Gym Leader Brawly & his apprentice-cum-wife Shauna. They are in Kanto for a brief vacation. Currently, the lovebirds are lying on the sand facing each other, drowned in each other's eyes; while enjoying the sensation of the mild & tingly sand, sunny weather & the sound of the ocean waves. Since they are currently on a private beach, they can luckily enjoy without much disturbance from the commotion of the tourists. They even left their Pokémon at the Pokémon Centre so as to spend some quality time just with each other. The setting, the feel, the solitude, the experience & the sensation is truly soothing, romantic & mesmerizing. Indeed, Nature is the greatest gift of Arceus to the living world.

It's so romantic. It's just him & her, lying on the beach, drowned in each other's eyes. In this romantic setting, Brawly observes his beautiful apprentice. Her shiny, ocean blue eyes; her silky, ocean blue hairs; her ocean blue swimsuit; Oh Arceus… she's looking just like an angel from the hall of origins. Suddenly, he feels the urge to do something romantic, something special. "Hey Shauna", he says with a soft smile.

"Yeah Brawly?" she responds in a soft voice. She's indeed lucky to marry the love of her life; the guy she was crushing on since forever. His sky blue eyes, his sky blue hairs, his strength, his calm & cool attitude… everything's just perfect about him. Brawly's the best!

A twinkle appears for a brief moment in the sky.

"It took me some time to realize, but I truly know now. You are the love of my life. We are made for each other. You are the sweetest girl I have ever met. You're the best & the most capable apprentice I've ever had. You're just perfect! I… I love you!" Brawly says softly, with a small blush.

"I love you too, Brawly. I love you more than anything else. I am glad that we ended up together." Shauna says with a bright face. She blushes & smiles sweetly at her husband's romantic words.

The Beach Palms behind them rustle for a while. The water in the ocean splashes loudly for a brief moment. But for the couple, it's just an addition to the already romantic atmosphere.

Suddenly, Brawly starts to lean in. Shauna, knowing what she should do, starts to lean in too. Oh Sweet Arceus! It's their today's sixth kiss! Butterflies start to erupt in the stomachs of the lovebirds.

One of the palms starts to bend in the couple's direction.

Just when they are about to kiss, out of nowhere, a man in a weird, white uniform, drops right over Shauna. "AAAAAAAAAHHH!" Shauna screams out of surprise & disgust, while acting on instinct, & pushing away the man immediately. She backs off & bumps into her love. The man lands into the sand, face-first. Brawly immediately hugs her tight & shouts angrily at the stranger, "You Bastard! How dare you touch my wife?!"

The stranger slowly gets up to see the couple. His face is covered in sand. He spits out some sand out of his mouth & then wipes off the sand from his face using his hands, revealing his not-so-inconspicuous identity. That man is none other than James.

"I am alive! YEAH! I am still in a single piece! I landed safely! I can't believe! I am so happy! Thanks a lot, Arceus!" James bursts out of sheer happiness, realizing quickly that he's indeed alive. He's alive! Thanks Arceus! Thanks a lot! While he was falling down from the sky & when he saw & evaluated that he's going to crash on the land, he thought that he would be pretty much dead within a few moments. But here he is, sitting on some beach, with an angry & a crazy looking couple sitting beside him. Why are they so angry? And why do they look so familiar? Has he met them before?

The couple watches James with sheer disgust & anger. Is this man crazy? First off, he pounces on Shauna out of nowhere, & now he says that he's happy? Not to mention that he ignored Brawly's interrogation! That's totally outrageous! They won't tolerate it!

Within an instant, Brawly using all of his force, punches James right into his face. "AAAAAAHHH!" James screams, as the powerful punch sends him flying away towards the palms. He crashes right into the same palm tree where he previously landed. The fighter couple rushes towards the punched James. As soon as they reach near James, Brawly, without hesitating for a single moment, holds James' neck with his right hand. He starts dragging him up just by using the sheer strength of his right arm.

"Hey! What did I do? Why are you so angry?" James blurts out, as he struggles to speak due to Brawly's strong grip around his neck. "What did you do?! You degenerate dipstick! How dare you touch my wife?!" Brawly fumes. How can this guy say that when he clearly knows what he did!

"Uh… What are you talking about?" a confused James asks. When did he touch his wife?

That statement... That statement of James is enough to snap both of the fighters. James truly messed it up this time. He's gonna be responsible for whatever happens next. He has called it upon himself.

"Brawly, step aside. Lemme handle this." Shauna says with a ferocious & determined expression. She cracks her knuckles & straightens her neck. Brawly leaves his grasp around James neck. James slides down the Palm tree, free from the literally breath-taking grip. James finally gets some relief & fresh air to breathe. But things have just started to get worse for him. Shauna, prepped up to teach the pervert a lesson, braces herself to attack him. She's gonna teach him a lesson he will never forget. He won't try ever again to misbehave with any woman. The next moment, we find James trapped between the Palm Tree & the fighter couple; while he's screaming in pain. He gets attacked by a barrage of punches, kicks & smacks by the wife-cum-apprentice of a Fighting Type Gym Leader. Sordidness always attracts dire consequences.

Meowth & Jessie watch this free show of strength, right from the place where they crashed; the ocean. They crashed just a few meters away from the beach & the show began right after they emerged out of the water, so luckily, they didn't miss any portion of it.

"Why are we still standing in the water?" Meowth asks, without averting his gaze from the ongoing action. He has no idea about how a Magikarp got trapped in his jaws.

"I don't know. Maybe because I still have a Shellder attached to my hairs & you are chewing on a Magikarp" Jessie replies, keeping up with the action sequence, while she tries to get rid of the Shellder, which has attached itself to her hairs.

"Maybe we should help him" Meowth suggests, still engrossed by the ongoing action-packed mania & chewing on the unlucky Magikarp.

"Nah, it's fine. He's intelligent enough to devise his own plans to get out of such situations. Afterall, even if we made a plan to save him, he would never trust it or will somehow find a way to ruin it." Jessie snorts. She's still angry with James on that issue. Ugh! Why isn't this Shellder leaving her hairs?

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet says as he pops out of its Pokéball. OOOH! A free action show, huh?! How can he miss it?!

"Meowth, will you please help me get rid of this Shellder?" Jessie requests Meowth. This Shellder is so frustrating! Why won't it let her hairs go?

"Only if you let me use Fury Swipes on your hairs" Meowth says waggishly. Why is Jessie always so concerned about her hairs & face? It's not like she's gonna look attractive even after putting on some heavy make-up.

"Dare to do so, & you will never find your claws ever again" threatens Jessie. Meowth knows better than not to mess with her hair & face.

Meowth gulps. Jessie never compromises with her hairs & her face, even if the remarks are just some larks or capers. Oops! The Magikarp slipped out of his jaws!

Jessie rolls her eyes. She can never trust Meowth with any task related to the maintenance & preservation of her beauty. It's better if she asked her Wobbuffet. "Wobbuffet, can you help me out with this?" Jessie asks her Wobbuffet's help.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet says with a salute. Of course he can! Anything for Jessie!

"Help Me! PLEASE! Somebody Help ME! JESSIE! MEOWTH! WOBBUFFET! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! HELP ME!" James screams & pleads for help, but looks like no one's willing to do so. He continues to get beaten up by Shauna.

* * *

"I hate you guys. I seriously hate you guys", cries James, as he's gets dragged by Jessie & Wobbuffet. Jessie, Wobbuffet & Meowth 'rescued' James after the couple left him, when they were done teaching him a lesson. They are currently treading down the beach towards the Cinnabar Island's Team Rocket hideout, which is situated somewhere near the Cinnabar Island Port.

"And what do you hate us for?" asks Meowth, knowing well why, but opting to act oblivious about the matter.

"Where were you when that couple was beating me up?" James whines. Yeah, where were they? Why didn't they come to save him?

"We were sorta busy…" says Meowth, as he sweatdrops. He can't just straightaway say that they were actually enjoying seeing him getting beaten up. That would break his heart & trust.

"Ouch! Easy, Guys!" James says as he almost trips over a rock.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet says with a salute, as he helps James rebalance himself. He will take utmost care of his every teammate!

"Seriously, James… Who told you to mess up with bulked up guys? Hadn't if you messed up with them, you could have saved a lot of your suffering" Jessie says nonchalantly. It's true. Always mess with people who are smaller & weaker than you.

"I didn't mess with them! They attacked me without any reason!" James whines. It wasn't his mistake that he landed right on that man's wife!

Just then, Meowth spots something; or someone, to be exact, standing near a cruise. "Hey, is that da twerp?" Meowth says, as he points out towards a raven haired person standing near a cruise's exit, with a yellow coloured Pokémon. Team Rocket stops in their path to observe the person Meowth was pointing at. James pulls out his dented & slightly damaged binoculars from his pocket to take a better look at the person. Apparently, his Advanced Binoculars are made from powerful & almost indestructible materials. (Thank Silph Co. for that)

"Seems like he is; I mean, just look at him! The same raven hairs, the same clothes & a Pikachu; he's definitely the twerp. Not to mention that the cruise behind the twerp is the one which the twerp was supposed to travel with!" James says after taking a look from his Binoculars. Yeah, that guy over there looks a lot like the twerp.

Jessie immediately snatches the Binoculars out of his hands. "Hey! What the heck!" James whines, but Jessie shushes him. Nobody can complain when Jessie wants to work!

Jessie zooms onto the Pikachu just in time to see a disgusting scene. She just saw him vomit into the ocean! "Wait a second… That Pikachu just vomited into the ocean! That means… the twerp's Pikachu is seasick!" Jessie exclaims as she observes the disgusting & disturbing scene. That wasn't a wrong time; it was the perfect time to observe him!

"Wait… if Pikachu's sick, the Twerp will definitely visit the Pokémon Centre; & since this is the Cinnabar Island, healing the Pokémon will take some time" evaluates James, as he connects the links between the Island, the Pokémon Centre, & The Pikachu.

"Since dis is da Cinnabar Island, we'll find lots of other Pokémon in da Pokémon Centre! Nut to mention that there's a Pokémon Research Lab too! And to top that, today's a busy day for tourists! That means…" Meowth continues, connecting more links to James' evaluation.

The Team Rocket trio grins evilly. "Today's the perfect day to steal the Pokémon from the Cinnabar Island!" Team Rocket says in a chorus. Wobbuffet adds his own "Wobbuffet!" to the chorus.

"Okay, so before you guys start begging me to make the plan, I want to clarify that this time, I won't be making any plans. It's James' turn this time!" Jessie clarifies, after receiving a lot of flak for her plans & strategies. Let the others get the chance to make plans this time

"No one's gonna beg ya for that, Jessie", Meowth blurts out. Ike really, why would they? Her plans suck!

"Just make the plan, you fools!" Jessie shouts on Meowth & James. She's now truly getting fed up of their constant insults. They are so annoying!

"OKAY!" James & Meowth shout out with a salute. "Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet joins them with his own salute. And so, James & Meowth get started with the creation of a plan – a plan to steal all the Pokémon from the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre & the Pokémon Lab, including Ash's Pikachu.

* * *

It's currently 12 PM in the region of Kanto. The sun, now taking the centre stage of the sky, shines brightly; warming the sands of the beautiful beaches & the majestic ocean of the Cinnabar Island. The day was supposed to be a fun, bright, sunny & cash-rich day for the tourists & the local residents of the Cinnabar Island. But, it turns out that someone hates the peace, the prosperity & the happiness of the common citizens of Kanto.

After teleporting from his hotel to the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre, the first thing Blaine observes is a huge crowd of tourists, trainers, police force & multiple fire-fighting squads of water Pokemon gathered around something which's on fire. As he takes a better & analytical look at the burning structure, his eyes widen out of shock. The conclusion of his analysis is both outrageous & concerning. The destroyed & ablaze structure is none other than the Pokémon Centre.

Ash observes the commotion & destruction which lies in front of his eyes. The Pokémon Centre is no more. In its place resides the charred remnants of a human-made structure & debris of a construction, still ablaze & hot enough to burn & scar anything it touches. Oh no… that's yet another déjà vu again. The last time when he visited the island; Team Rocket attacked the Pokémon Lab in a similar style to steal Pokémon. Wait, is the Pokémon Lab okay?

Ash instantly turns around to locate the Pokémon Lab, & locates it about half a mile away, in the exact left direction of the Pokémon Centre. Well, he doesn't exactly locate the Lab, because the lab's gone too. What he locates is another destroyed building on fire. The fire's clearly caused by some unnatural causes. Probably Team Rocket's work again. Ugh! He's done with this déjà vu thing!

"Oh Arceus… What in the world did happen here?" Blaine mutters in shock. Not Again. It's probably the work of Team Rocket. What do they get out of this? Why do they always try to destroy the places owned by the League? Especially, why the Pokémon Centre? The Pokémon Centre's for the weak, injured & tired Pokémon! If Team Rocket's behind strong & rare Pokémon, they could've found them in the Pokémon Lab! Why target a medical facility?

"The Pokémon Lab… It's also on the fire. I am damn sure that Team Rocket's behind this mess. Those thieves…" Ash scowls. He hates Team Rocket. Stealing Pokémon from anywhere isn't a good thing, but stealing them from medical facilities & destroying them? That's outrageous! If his Pikachu got even a single scratch; heck, if any Pokémon got a single scratch due to their misadventures, he won't spare Team Rocket!

Blaine facepalms. Great. Even the Pokémon Lab is destroyed. Why didn't the Nurse Joys inform him earlier?! Like what on the earth were they doing?

"Mr. Riddle!" A voice calls out from the crowd. Blaine turns towards the crowd & finds a Nurse Joy rushing towards him, followed by a tough-looking, blue-haired couple. It turns out that the name of Blaine's disguised persona goes by his surname. Mr. Riddle. Sounds truly mysterious & cool!

"Huh?! Oh, it's the Nurse Joy. What happened here?" Blaine asks immediately after Nurse Joy reaches near him. He decides to ignore the couple for a few moments, because he probably knows who they are.

"It's Team Rocket again; two of them with a Meowth & a Wobbuffet. They cut off the communication lines of the Pokémon Centre; fixed call jammers all around the vicinity, set up explosives all over the building & then barged into the Centre; threatened us to hand over all of our Pokémon or they'll blow up the place. We had no choice but to surrender our Pokémon to them. We handed over our Pokémon to them unwillingly, & eventually, they blew up the Centre. I talked with some researchers of the Pokémon Lab who escaped, & they suffered through a similar fate," Nurse Joy explains quickly & briefly. The experience was terrifying. She wants to forget it & get back to normal life as soon as possible.

"Any loss of life?" Blaine asks out of fear & concern. If there's even a single casualty, Team Rocket's gonna pay.

"Surprisingly, they asked us to empty the buildings before they stole our Pokémon & then blew up the buildings. So everyone's pretty safe." Nurse Joy answers with a relieved look. At least everyone's safe (except for the Pokémon).

"Thanks a lot, Arceus" Blaine says with a sigh of relief. At least there are no casualties.

The details which Nurse Joy just provided make Ash suspicious about the Rockets. Apart from the Team Rocket Trio which he encounters on a regular basis, there's probably no other Team Rocket member which will actually care about the lives of innocent people & Pokémon. To confirm his suspicions, he asks to the Nurse Joy, "Did you just say that the Rockets had a Meowth & a Wobbuffet, Nurse Joy?"

"Yes. But why do you ask, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town?" the Nurse Joy asks out of curiosity. Turns out that she's the same Nurse Joy Ash met in the Pokémon Centre.

"Well… nothing important" Ash says sheepishly. Nurse Joy gives Ash a confused look, but Ash waves it off. That means the Rockets responsible for this incident are probably Jessie & James! That explains why the Rockets evacuated the buildings before blowing them up! That also means that Pikachu & all the other Pokémon are currently with Team Rocket. He has to save his buddy & all the others!

"It's indeed weird & surprising. I mean, prior to today's incident, whenever & wherever Team Rocket attacked, they never cared about the lives & casualties. This is truly something new for Team Rocket" says Blaine. It's indeed weird & new. Has Team Rocket amended its ways of committing crimes?

"Listen Mr. Riddle, we have no time for more talks. Those gnarly goons have all of our Pokémon imprisoned inside a ginormous dynamic metal confiner attached to their Meowth-shaped hot-air balloon & that hot air balloon is headed in the direction of the Kanto mainland & if we don't hurry, we might lose our Pokémon & those criminals!" Shauna says hurriedly & worriedly. Those Team Rocket goons… first off, they spoil their quality time & then, they steal all of her & her love's Pokémon. She won't spare them!

"Uh… May I know who you are?" asks Blaine. The couple looks familiar, especially that muscular man. That man is definitely Brawly, the Dewford City Gym leader & this young lady, who is she? A local resident? Nah, she doesn't look like one. She looks like someone from Hoenn. Is she a companion of Brawly? Blaine's sure that he's seen her somewhere, but he doesn't remember exactly. He forgot her name, too. But what is a Gym Leader from Hoenn doing here? And most importantly, why is this young lady with a Gym Leader?

"My name's Shauna & we are running low on time. We've to hurry! We've to get them before they leave the perimeter of this Island!" Shauna says impatiently. They're running out of time! If they don't hurry, they will lose the Rockets & their Pokémon. They can't let it happen!

"Hey Blaine… Err… I mean… Mr. Riddle, The Meowth shaped Hot-air balloon is still visible from here. I can see it clearly. Come on; let's follow it & smash it down before it's gone!" Brawly says, almost revealing Blaine's identity. It turns out that both Brawly & Shauna are aware of Blaine's fake & real identities.

"Be careful Brawly, you almost revealed my identity" Blaine whispers to Brawly. His true identity should never get compromised; especially when he's still in his Mr. Riddle getup.

"He-heh, sorry Blaine… Err… I mean Mr. Riddle. I am sorry!" Brawly tries to apologise, but almost ruins it.

"Anyways," says Blaine. "Nurse Joy, please stays back, report the league authorities & take care of the commotion. Ash, Brawly & Shauna, let's get going! We have some dacoits to catch!" Blaine says with fresh vigour & determination.

"Sure, Mr. Riddle", Nurse Joy obeys with a smile. Blaine's right. Someone needs to report the league authorities about the situation. Heck, she can even help Officer Jenny handle the chaos & commotion!

Did Blaine just imply that he's going to chase Team Rocket, too? But he's old! Not that Ash has any problem with it, it's just… Blaine shouldn't do such exhaustive physical work in his age. So, making a quick decision of pointing this fact out to Blaine, Ash says, "I think you should stay back, too; Blaine… Err… I mean Mr. Riddle" while committing the same mistake as Brawly.

"And why is that?" Blaine asks with a raised eyebrow, ignoring the fact that even Ash made the mistake of revealing his identity. He knows what Ash's trying to imply.

"Well… You see… He-Heh…" Ash tries to speak out his actual reasoning, but fails to find the correct & a polite way to say it. It would actually be quite offensive.

"You think I am too old to run, right?" Blaine says with an unamused expression. He guessed it correctly. A lot of people make this mistake. They underestimate him & his capabilities because of his age.

"Well… practically, yes" says Ash truthfully, with a little hesitation. Looks like Blaine already figured out what Ash actually wanted to say.

Blaine sighs. Even if he wants to deny that fact, Ash still has a point there. Ash's not wrong. But Blaine had something else in his mind when he said them to get going. "Actually, you are correct. Indeed, I am too old to run. But, my plan wasn't to run anyway. I was planning to _**Teleport**_ straight to the Northern Beach. Well, if you have made your mind to chase, so be it. You chase the Balloon, & the rest of us will simply _**Teleport**_ to the island's end! Afterall, you're young, athletic & quite energetic!" Blaine says with a shrug. So you wanted to run, Ash? Then Go run! The rest will just _**Teleport**_ around!

"Hey! I am sorry! I am in no mood to run! Please _**Teleport**_ me, too!" pleads Ash, with an apology. He was kidding! Trust him! He never meant to offend him!

"Nah, you should definitely run. Kids of your age should exercise well!" Blaine says with a teasing smirk. Yeah Ash, you asked for that. Now go run!

"I am sorry, Mr. Riddle!" whines Ash. He means it! He is sorry about it!

"Yeah come on, Mr. Riddle, we don't have much time!" says Brawly, saying Blaine's alternate name correctly this time. He's impatient & irritated due to the delay & the childishness of the two adults.

"Yeah fine. I am dropping this just because there's an emergency" says Blaine, while trying to control his laughter & managing to do so. Ash's so childish! He's just like the same ten year old kid he met eight years ago. Not wasting anymore time, Blaine pulls out Kadabra's Pokéball & summons Kadabra.

"Kadabra!" Kadabra says cheerfully. Time to teleport again!

"Kadabra, _**Teleport**_ us to the Northern beach of the Cinnabar Island!" Blaine orders his Kadabra. It's time to go.

"Kadabra!" Kadabra squeals happily. The Northern Beach! That's her favourite place! Kadabra immediately starts to concentrate, & within a few moments, the group of the powerful trainers vanishes into thin air. Kadabra used _**Teleport**_!

"I hope they get them back" Nurse Joy says hopefully, as she observes them while they vanish instantly. She's optimistic about those trainers. They will surely get everyone's Pokémon back.

* * *

"CHEERS!" The Team Rocket trio exclaims, as they clink their Orange Juice cans against each other's.

"Wobba!" Wobbuffet exclaims, adding his own cheers to the celebratory atmosphere.

Today, Team Rocket truly has a reason to celebrate, & why won't they? Afterall, they've finally succeeded after innumerable attempts! They've finally managed to steal the twerp's Pikachu, & bunch of many other powerful Pokémon, including the likes of Brawly's & Shauna's Pokémon.

"We succeeded! We've captured more than a hundred & fifty Pokémon today!" James reveals with sheer delight, as he speedily sips the aerated orange juice. That's one big haul!

"YAY!" Jessie exclaims enthusiastically, as she raises her hands out of joy, spilling all of her juice on Wobbuffet in the process. It's their big day!

"We've also accomplished our long-term goal! We've finally captured that twerp's Pikachu!" Meowth says ecstatically, as he slurps all the juice from the juice can. He finished it first!

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet says happily; as he gulps down the aerated drink in one go after cleaning most of the spilt juice himself, with the help of his tongue. If everyone's happy, he's happy too!

"After so many attempts, finally… we did it! We did it guys, WE DID IT!" says James, with tears of pure joy & happiness flowing through his eyes. Oh Arceus… he needs more juice! How the hell did he finish it so quickly?!

"Da boss' gonna be uber-happy & super-proud! Now no one's gonna stop me from being da top cat of Team Rocket!" Meowth says with determination & surety, with stars in his eyes. He's still holding the empty orange juice can for no reason.

"Our plan was a complete success!" Jessie exclaims with a pumped fist, crushing the can consequently. Yeah! They did it! Their efforts & patience paid off!

"YEAH!" everyone shouts out of joy, as they raise their right fists high towards the sky.

All of a sudden, Meowth realizes something. Jessie said 'our'! What did she mean by our plan?! That was not HER plan! She didn't plan anything! It was HIS plan! Not hers! "Wait a minute… What do you mean by OUR Plan? It was my plan! I was the one who created that plan in the first place!" says Meowth, infuriated by Jessie's statement.

"Hey! Don't leave me out! Even I helped to plan the PLAN! The idea of destroying communication systems was mine!" complains James. Hey! Even he has a contribution in the plan! It was his & Meowth's plan!

Jessie narrows her eyes. Seriously?! Again?! Why do they always fight for the credit? Yeah, they did make the plan, but she's sure that they would've ruined everything, hadn't if she ensured the proper execution of the plan. "But I was the one who executed it. And execution is always more important than the plan," argues Jessie.

"You cannot execute anything without a plan! And ya were not da only person who executed it! We all did it together!" retaliates Meowth. He has a valid point. They did it together! It's their victory, & not of any specific individual.

"Whatever. Fixing jammers & explosives is not a big deal. The hardest part is to threaten & terrify the people; & I did that spectacularly with my elegant & natural acting skills; unlike you, who can't even scare a Rattata" scoffs Jessie. Yeah! They just fixed all those stuff & that's that! They didn't do anything remarkable!

That's it. That does it. Meowth's done with Jessie. He can't tolerate her mockery & plagiarism any further. "How dare ya say that? Want me to use Fury Swipes on yer ugly face, ya pugnacious Purugly?" fumes Meowth, as he threatens Jessie with his Claws.

That's enough. She's getting fed up of it. Whenever she tries to present some valid points in an argument, Meowth threatens her with his claws. What if Meowth is a Pokémon? He has got no rights to threaten her! She won't tolerate it anymore! "How dare you call me a pugnacious Purugly, you mewling Meowth! If you try to threaten me once again in the name of my silky hairs & my beautiful face, I swear I will rip apart your claws!" snarls Jessie.

And with this, Jessie & Meowth continue their barrage of insults & threats on each other, while James & Wobbuffet watch them as spectators. Oh Arceus… here they go again. When will they stop quarrelling? They are just like two overaged kids who never learned about sharing & caring. When will they learn these basic principles of teamwork?

"Do you think we should stop them?" James asks Wobbuffet. It's better if they try to stop them before things get physical.

"Wobba, Wobba" Wobbuffet says with a Shrug. He has no idea what to do. It's not like that he always has ideas & solutions for everything.

James sighs. He's done with this for now. He gets up & moves towards the edge of the basket. These guys will never change. It's in their blood. It's the part of their lives. He leans over the edge of the basket, so as to observe & enjoy the beautiful aerial view of the Cinnabar Island. The soft & damp sea breeze flows around his body, pacifying his exhaustion & irritation. The breeze slowly blocks away the sound of the quarrelling duo, providing James with a much calmer atmosphere. As the Balloon travels further, towards the Kanto mainland, James observes the Island's most prominent features for a one last time – the beautiful, sandy beaches; the majestic, blue ocean; the huge volcano & the surrounding ravines & brooks; & last but not the least, a flock of Wingulls cruising over the ocean. The soft sea breeze continues to pelt him with gusts of relaxation, which calms him with every passing moment.

James gives a sigh of relaxation. Yes; the quarrels, the arguments, the fights; it's a part of their lives now. That's what makes their gloomy lives more enjoyable. But yeah, they do get frustrating after a point. But still, the memories which he created due to all those quarrels with Jessie & Meowth; he would never trade them for anything. They are now his favourite memories. They are the memories which they have created with each other. They are the reason why they stick to each other, even after some really bitter fights. That's their true superpower. They stay together.

Even if the conditions & the situations are not in their favour, they tackle it together. Even if the things turn out to be in their favour, they celebrate together. Even if they screw up the things, they face it together. Even if they have a bitter fight, they don't regret it; because in the end, they always make up. They stay together. Always.

James gives a peaceful smile, as he remembers all those times they argued. Sometimes small, sometimes lengthy; it's now impossible for him to imagine his life without all those arguments. As he starts remembering more of those fights, he feels peace & bliss for the first time, in a while. Some beautiful scenery, some soft sea breeze, & some great memories; it's the perfect formula for peace & bliss.

But no peace lasts forever.

All of a sudden the Balloon starts to accelerate & lose its altitude. Oh no! Someone punched a hole in their hot air balloon! The balloon's deflating! But how did it happen? Who did it?! The realization soon dawns to the Team Rocket Members & they stop doing whatever they were doing.

"Da balloon's deflating! We're going to crash!" Meowth shouts out of fear. He doesn't want to go back to that heaven of Meowths!

"But how did it happen all of a sudden? Did someone poke a hole in it?" James asks, as he panics. Who did it? Who's behind this insolence?

"Stop blabbering & fix it, you idiots!" yells Jessie. They need to fix it before it crashes! But it's too late. The balloon gains more velocity as more air gushes out of the punctured balloon.

"It's not possible to fix it like this! We're going to crash for sure!" wails James. Why doesn't the fate let him enjoy peace peacefully?

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" Team Rocket starts to scream, as more & more air starts gushing out of the hot air balloon, providing the balloon with some angular velocity. Due to the freshly received angular velocity, the balloon starts flying in random directions, & it soon crashes on the Northern Beach of the Cinnabar Island.

"Ouch… That did hurt", says James, as he crawls out of the deflated & crashed hot air balloon. Jessie, Meowth & Wobbuffet follow the same suite & crawl out of it, just to find a tough-looking Luxray looking at them threateningly. The Luxray & the Rockets stare at each other for a moment. The Rockets blink their eyes twice to confirm the existence of the Gleam Eyes Pokémon present in front of their eyes.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Team Rocket screams out of shock, as they back off & bump into the hot air balloon's basket. Yeah, they're not dreaming. The Luxray is indeed real. But what is this seemingly powerful Pokémon doing here?! Where is the trainer of the Luxray?

"Luxray Lux, Luxray!" the Luxray growls at Team Rocket. It's better if they comply.

"What the heck is that Luxray saying?" James asks to Meowth out of fear. That Luxray… looks ferocious.

"He's asking us to surrender, which we're never gonna do! We never surrender, Luxray! We're da ones who make others surrender!" Meowth translates & answers to both James & Luxio. Surrender? That's never an option for Team Rocket!

"Luxray, use _**Swift**_ on that Meowth!" a female voice speaks out in a commanding tone.

Complying with his trainer's command, Luxray jumps up & prepares to use _**Swift**_. The black tail of Luxray starts to glow a bright yellow. The Luxray rotates once in the mid-air, before pointing his tail in Meowth's direction & shoots multiple shiny yellow stars towards him. Meowth, not expecting the Luxray to attack anytime soon, takes the full brunt of the attack, since _**Swift**_ never misses the target.

"MEOOOW!" Meowth cries out, as he gets prickled by the pointed stars.

"Hey! What da hell! I wasn't even ready!" Meowth yells at the Luxray & his hidden trainer, as he regains his composure after taking a hit.

"Well," says the trainer of Luxray as the teal-haired Pokémon trainer comes out of hiding. The trainer was hiding behind a large boulder on the beach. "That's my strategy. Attack the enemy when it's not anticipating"

"Hey! That's not fair!" whines Meowth. Those stars hurt! They are really prickly!

"Says a bunch of petty thieves" the trainer says nonchalantly. Like really, see who's saying that.

"Petty?! You think we are petty?! We are dangerous! Really, really dangerous!" flares Jessie. She's not petty! She's pretty!

"Yeah, if you're talking about your condition, then you're absolutely correct" the trainer says with a teasing smirk. Yeah, this's a good retort!

"Argh! You speak way too much! Time to teach you a lesson!" snorts Jessie. This trainer's getting on her nerves. She will teach this trainer an unforgettable lesson.

"Alright! Bring it on!" the Trainer says fearlessly. The trainer & the Luxray are always more than ready for a battle. Why fear a bunch of petty thieves?

"Alright James, you take over Meowth!" orders Jessie, as she springs up into action. If anyone's gonna mess up with Team Rocket's plans, they will pay.

"Sure Jessie!" obeys James, as he too springs up in action. Jessie's probably planning to use their 'Surprise Switch' plan. He knows what to do.

"But before that…" the trio says in a chorus. They've to do something really important.

"Prepare for trouble… You've engaged us" says Jessie with a dark expression.

"And make it double… You've enraged us!" says James with a similar dark expression & a rose in his mouth. (Only Arceus knows how he gets them out of nowhere.)

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie says as she jumps to her left hand side.

"To unite the people within our nation!" James says as he jumps to his right hand side.

"To denounce the evils of truth & love!" Jessie says as she crouches.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" James says as he jumps up with his right hand stretching towards the sky.

"It's Jessie!" Jessie speaks out her name in a dramatic manner.

"And James!" James follows the same suite as Jessie.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" says Jessie with a twirl.

"Surrender now or prepare for fight!" says James, pointing a finger towards the trainer.

"Meowth! That's Right!" says Meowth, as he jumps in between of Jessie & James.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet says with a salute, as he jumps into the view from the backside of Team Rocket.

"Uh…" The trainer & the Luxray sweatdrop simultaneously. Seriously?! Are these clowns really the members of the notorious Team Rocket?

"Hey! What's with that expression of yours?!" Jessie asks angrily. That trainer's supposed to be surprised or scared or terrified after seeing their motto performance!

"Do you guys work in a circus? Cuz yeah, the police have issued an alert about a bunch of dacoits with a Meowth hot air balloon, & it seems you have a lot of stolen Pokémon & Pokéballs in that dynamic metal confiner of yours, but you aren't acting like typical criminals; you're acting more like clowns" the Trainer doubts, while pointing towards the huge dynamic metal confiner attached to the deflated hot air balloon. Truly speaking, these guys are better off as clowns.

"That's enough! Meowth, use _**Fury Swipes**_!" commands James. He had enough of this trainer's mockery.

"Oh yeah! Here we go!" says Meowth as he draws out his claws & starts moving towards the Luxray in a dramatically slow speed, as if he's waiting for Luxray to attack first.

The trainer sighs. These grunts of Team Rocket are really dramatic. It would be better if Luxray finishes the Meowth in one attack. "Luxray, use _**Discharge**_!" the trainer commands to the Luxray.

Luxray starts to focus on the electric-type energy present all over his body. He focuses on every single bit of the energy & prepares to release the energy. As soon as he's ready, he fires off all the electricity he can manage to muster in Meowth's direction, giving him an electric glow.

Luxray used _**Discharge**_!

The Team Rocket Trio smirks. The trainer fell for the bait. Their luck's quite strong today.

"Wobbuffet, switch in & use _**Mirror Coat**_!" Jessie commands to Wobbuffet. Wobbuffet complies, & prepares to use his _**Mirror Coat**_. Wobbuffet moves at an incredible speed & takes the entire brunt of the attack, just in time before it can hit Meowth. Almost immediately, Wobbuffet fires off a beam of energy, twice as powerful as the _**Discharge**_ attack of Luxray.

Wobbuffet used _**Mirror Coat**_!

The Luxray & the trainer, not anticipating any such last-moment tricks, get caught off guard. The powerful beam of psychic-type energy hits the Luxray & sends him flying away at a good distance, knocking off a lot of sand as he skids across the beach. James, not wanting to give the trainer any time to think of a counter-strategy, immediately commands, "Meowth, now switch in & use _**Fury Swipes**_!"

"You fell for our strategy! Yay!" Meowth mocks the trainer as he prepares to actually use _**Fury Swipes**_ this time. Meowth draws his claws out once again & lunges forward, towards the freshly-attacked Luxray. Knowing that Luxray stands no chance against these Rockets anymore, the trainer pulls out a Pokéball & withdraws Luxray from the battle.

The trainer forfeited & is out of Pokémon! Team Rocket wins!

"YAY! We won!" exclaims Team Rocket together. They did it! They beat the seemingly powerful Luxray!

"He-heh; so what will you do now? Got anymore Pokémon with you?" Meowth asks smugly. If there are any more Pokémon, they will defeat them too!

The trainer smirks. Guess the plan worked. "Heh, I was just trying to buy some time. The police will reach here soon", says the trainer.

"WHAT?!" the Team Rocket trio shouts out of surprise. This trainer was just buying some time for the police! No way! They got bamboozled by a trainer with a single Pokémon!

"Whatever. The police force never reaches on time. Come on James & Meowth, let's stitch up the Balloon & get to the headquarters as soon as possible!" Jessie shrugs off the potential threat & asks her companions to join her in fixing their hot air balloon.

"Yeah! Let's not waste any more time!" says James, eager to get off the island. He doesn't want to get arrested after pulling off something remarkable & praiseworthy in the history of Team Rocket. And so, after capturing & dumping the trainer in the dynamic metal confiner with the Luxray, the Rockets start fixing up their hot air balloon with the help of a stitching kit present in their basket. It turns out that the Luxray used swift on the balloon & punctured it. But that's something which can be fixed easily. After years of experience of fixing hot air balloons, the Rockets get theirs fixed in absolutely no time.

Soon, they reflate their hot air balloon & are about to leave; when all of a sudden Ash, Blaine, Brawly, Shauna & a Kadabra appear out of nowhere on the Beach.

"It's the twerp!" Jessie exclaims out of surprise.

"And that fighter couple from the beach!" James mutters out of fear. Oh no! He doesn't want to face them again! Especially that young lady!

"Team Rocket! Not you guys again! Give me back my Pikachu!" Ash shouts out of frustration. When will Team Rocket amend its ways? When will they put a stop to their misadventures? No one knows!

"Yeah! Give our Pokémon back!" flares Shauna. She has had enough of this nuisance. First off, these bastards ruin her quality time with her love & then they steal their Pokémon. She won't spare them!

"Release all the Pokémon you've stolen, or get ready to face dire consequences!" says Blaine, trying his best to look menacing. Yeah, he knows. He doesn't look menacing at all. But he has to try.

"Not at any cost! Well, wait a sec… If you pay us a million credits for every single Pokémon, we might release them!" Jessie offers smugly, as she bursts out into an evil laughter. Yeah, pay 150 million & get your Pokémon back; that's something which can be seen as an absolute win!

"In your dreams! Those Pokémon don't belong to you!" argues Brawly. They are their Pokémon! They want them back!

"Guys, it's ready to use" Meowth whispers to Jessie & James. Apparently, he was setting up something which would help them get rid of this problematic situation.

"Awesome! Time to take off!" James exclaims with excitement. It's the best way to get rid of the pesky pests.

"So twerps, it's time for us to bid you adieu!" Jessie announces, as the balloon starts to rise up.

"You're going nowhere! Go Ninetales!" says Blaine, as he pulls out Ninetales' Ultra Ball & summons her.

"Nine!" the Ninetales cries out, as she lands on the sandy beach. It's time to battle!

"Ninetales & Kadabra, Use _**Flamethrower & Psychic**_ on that hot air balloon!" commands Blaine. Ninetales & Kadabra both comply & start charging up for their respective attacks. But little do they know that their plans won't work this time.

"Meowth, activate the MVC3000!" Jessie requests Meowth. They have this mega vacuum cleaner device attached right to the dynamic metal confiner, which can be used to capture Pokémon of any size.

"Right away!" Meowth says with a salute. Meowth pulls out a remote control from the emergency kit of the hot air balloon. The remote is just a modified wireless gaming console. Meowth presses the 'A' button on the remote. As soon as he presses the button, a huge tube with a rectangular end (just like a vacuum cleaner) emerges out of the base of the basket.

"What's that?!" Ash asks out of surprise to no one in particular. Looks like one of those huge vacuum cleaner-like machines which Team Rocket has used quite a few times in the past.

"I don't care! I just want to save our Pokémon!" answers Blaine. By now, Ninetales & Kadabra are ready with their attacks. It turns out that Blaine still had a few Pokémon undergoing treatment in the Pokémon Centre. So practically, a few of his Pokémon are currently in the possession of Team Rocket.

"Game Over" Meowth says with an evil grin, as he presses the 'X' button on the console. As soon as he presses the button, the device activates & starts to vacuum everything that comes in its way, including sand & some water-type Pokémon. Meowth, using the control knobs, slowly turns it in the direction of the trainers.

"Ninetales, Kadabra, Return!" says Blaine as he recalls his Pokémon back to save them from their apparent doom. "I think we should get away immediately!" Blaine suggests out of concern. He doesn't want to get trapped in a supposedly suffocating metallic prison.

"Sure! It's better to retreat for now!" says Shauna. The odds are against them. Team Rocket has an upper hand this time. The thieves may win this time, but they gonna strike back & rescue their Pokémon for sure.

That is, if they managed to evade the MVC3000 thingy; which is almost impossible to evade now, because it's directly above their heads.

"Gotcha!" says Meowth, as he jumps out of joy. That's it. It's inevitable.

"Uh-oh" Brawly blurts out. They are a done deal now.

Meowth revs up the power of the machine. They can't escape now.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the trainers scream out of fear, as they get sucked into the mega vacuum cleaner, one by one.

Meowth, after ensuring that the trainers are captured, turns off the machine by pressing the "Y" button. He then presses the "B" button to withdraw the MVC3000. It's done. They've dealt with the only obstacle left in their path. Now it's time to go to the Headquarters. The Boss's gonna be truly proud & ecstatic about their today's achievement! They can't wait to hear his evil laughter reverberating through the Team Rocket headquarters after they present him this impressive & memorable gift!

"YEAH! Today's our lucky day!" James shouts out of happiness. Indeed, it is. The boss's gonna give them a promotion!

"We captured 'em both! We captured that twerp & da Pikachu!" celebrates Meowth. His arch-rival (after that damn Persian) is down from the count! Today's the greatest day of his life!

"We also captured some good trainers! They're gonna be a great addition to the army of Team Rocket!" Jessie says with an evil smirk. The twerp & the other trainers which they captured today might actually turn out to be great assets for the Team Rocket. They can offer them to join the Team Rocket, or they can get some nice bounty in exchange for these trainers.

"Wobba Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet joins his friends in their celebration. If everyone's happy, he's happy!

Just then, Meowth remembers something that the trio promised to each other years ago. It's something they should do right now. It's the perfect time to do it.

"So guys, what do ya say? Wanna say that together?" suggests Meowth. Ever since the day they started chasing the twerp & the Pikachu, they've been wanting to say it together, but they never got a chance. Well, today's their chance! They can shout at the top of their lungs to celebrate their success & express their happiness!

"Say what?" asks James, confused by what Meowth's talking about. What did they wanted to say together?

"The line which we always wanted to say?! Don't you remember?!" stresses Meowth. Well, he can't blame James. It's not his fault that he doesn't remember about it. It's just… they've been hardly successful in the past eight years.

James tries extremely hard to remember about the line they wanted to say together. What was the line… What was the line… What was the line…"Oh yeah, that line! Let's say it!" says James as he finally remembers it. It was that line! The line which they haven't used in almost eight years! Today's the perfect day to say it!

"Ready Jessie?" Meowth asks to Jessie. Frankly speaking, he did expect from James to forget about it, but he knew for sure that Jessie remembers it.

"Yeah… I can't wait to say it!" says Jessie, giving a green signal to Meowth. Finally! She gets to say those magical words!

"Okay… Here it goes…" says Meowth, as the trio takes a deep breath.

"TEAM ROCKET HAS SUCCEEDED!" the trio shouts at the top of their lungs.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet joins them in their chorus of success.

They did it. They've finally succeeded. And they've finally said it instead of 'Team Rocket's blasting off again!' Today's their lucky day for sure.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" the trainers scream, as they travel through the dark, long tube of the giant vacuum cleaner. Ash has experienced such situations before, but it terrifies him every time. Not that he's afraid of it; it's just way too overwhelming. Except for Hoothoots & Noctowls, nobody likes darkness. He hopes that it ends soon; & luckily it does. They soon reach the end of the vacuum tunnel. (All, one by one; sequence – Blaine, Ash, Brawly & Shauna.)

Blaine's the one to exit the tunnel first, & he lands on a sand covered platform, face-first. Following him is Ash, & he crashes exactly on Blaine's old back.

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" Blaine screams in pain. "Hey! Are you trying to break my aged & fragile bones?" Blaine yells on Ash. It's not his fault that his bones are weak. He's just… yeah, he's old. He has to accept it.

"Why would I do that?" Ash replies confusedly & apologetically. He has no such plans! It's not his fault that he fell directly over him!

"Then get off me!" yells Blaine out of pain. He's definitely visiting his orthopaedic doctor once after he gets out of here.

"Okay!" Ash says out of fear, as he gets off Blaine. He didn't do it intentionally. It's not his mistake!

Meanwhile, Brawly lands on the sand on his back, on a spot close to Blaine's drop spot. He's followed by Shauna, who lands exactly over Brawly's muscular body, face first. The couple finds themselves in an awkward & a romantic position. They immediately realize it & blush madly, while refraining to move out of their awkward position. They keep staring at each other's eyes with love & embarrassment, while they try to process the situation they are currently into.

Brawly, unable to think coherently, decides to do what they generally do when they find themselves in such situations. "Wanna complete our kiss?" Brawly blurts out. Wait a sec… did he actually say that?!

That question of Brawly causes Shauna to blush more madly. What the heck is happening with her? Why can't she think straight?! "NO! I mean not no… I mean yes… But not yes… Ugh! What am I blabbering! Just KISS ME ALREADY!" Shauna speaks out in confusion, before pressing her lips against his. And so, they finally share their sixth kiss of the day.

While the couple gets busy with 'stuff', Ash & Blaine manage to regain their posture. "There sure is a lot of sand here…" says Ash, making an obvious statement, as he brushes of the sand stuck on his clothes, with the help of his hands.

"That's what you get when you vacuum a beach" says Blaine, as he too tries to get his favourite disguise rid of the sand. That's when they observe the couple making out. Blaine & Ash sweatdrop simultaneously. Seriously?! They should be thinking of ways to get out of this place; but here they are, making out care-freely. Don't they want to get out of this place?

The couple soon realizes that they are being watched. They open their eyes to find a blushing Ash & an unamused Blaine staring at them.

"Are you done? Or do you want some more time?" Blaine says with narrowed eyes. It's disgusting. The couples of the next generation can't keep their hands off each other.

The couple immediately part their lips away and stand apart from each other hurriedly, with their faces hung & red.

"Good. Now let's figure out how to get out of here" Blaine maintaining his piercing gaze at the couple. No wonder why the next generation isn't practical & safe.

"You can't" a voice says in a cold tone. Who said that?

"What?!" Ash asks confusedly, as he turns into the direction of the voice. He finds a teal-haired person sitting in a dark edge of the confiner. Is he the same person who he saw on the port?

"You can't get out of here" the teal-haired trainer says in a cold & depressed tone. Looks like the trainer has already tried something to get out of the confiner, but failed to do so.

"But why? And who are you? What are you doing here?" asks Ash out of confusion. How did this guy reach inside the confiner? Was he also sucked into it by Team Rocket?

"I already tried using electric type attacks on this confiner, & I am sad to say that all of my attempts turned out to be futile" the trainer answers Ash's first question, while ignoring the other questions.

"Well, we can go with the fire type attacks then! Let's try to melt down the walls!" suggests Blaine, pumped up to show the power of the fire types.

"T…That's a nice idea!" says Shauna, trying to speak up to reduce her awkwardness, but still feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Y…Yeah! Hey Shauna, I guess I saw a lot of Pokéballs under the sand. They might include ours, too." reveals Brawly, as he finally gains some courage to speak up after that awkward incident.

"S…Sure! Let's search for our Pokéballs!" says Shauna, wanting to get away from the awkward situation they were in. And so, they start searching for Pokéballs.

Blaine sighs. Brawly has changed a lot after his marriage. Without thinking more about it, Blaine pulls out Ninetales' Ultra Ball. "Go Ninetales!" says Blaine, as he summons his Ninetales.

"Nine!" the Ninetales cries out, as she lands gracefully on the sandy platform.

"Ninetales, we are currently trapped inside a dynamic metal container. We might need to melt it down to escape. Prepare to use a continuous _**Flamethrower**_ on the wall!" requests Blaine, while pointing towards the metallic wall.

"Nine!" Ninetales complies with her trainer's request & starts charging up to use a continuous _**Flamethrower**_ on the dynamic metal wall.

Meanwhile, Ash decides to interact with the teal-haired trainer. The trainer seems to be sad & depressed. Looks like he has lost his hope. Well, Ash can cheer him up!

"Come on man, cheer up! Never give up until the end!" says Ash, as he approaches the trainer & places his hand on the supposed male's shoulder, in a bid to cheer him up.

By now, Ninetales is ready to use a continuous _**Flamethrower**_.

"Man… man… MAN…" the trainer utters repetitively. This guy thinks that she's a man. Great. Yet another person thinks she's male.

Ninetales used _**Flamethrower**_!

"How dare you call me a man?!" the trainer flares just like the _**Flamethrower**_, as she grabs Ash's collar & pulls him down towards her to see him face to face.

"But… But… But you look like one!" Ash tries to explain out of fear. Hey! She looks like one! Anyone can mistake that mistake!

"So what? Just because I am not curvy like the other girls don't mean that I am a boy!" the trainer tightens her grip around Ash's collar. It turns out that the trainer is a girl.

"But your hair… And your dress…" Ash tries to reason with her, but is cut off when she starts to shake him violently.

"I told you I am not a boy! Yeah, I have a boy cut & yes, I wear clothes just like men's clothes, but never judge a book by its cover!" yells Angie out of sheer anger & internal embarrassment. Why do people assume her gender from her outer appearance? It's bad to assume anyone's gender by judging their looks!

"Okay, Okay! I am sorry! Now please leave me!" Ash pleads. Oh Arceus, this girl has some anger issues. It kinda reminds him of a certain red-head who specializes in water-type Pokémon. Argh! Why is he thinking so-much about Misty today?

The female trainer stops shaking Ash by his collar. She then takes a better look at his face & finds it to surprisingly familiar. It looks exactly like someone she promised to meet again. She was actually planning to meet that guy during her journey through Kanto. "Wait… I have seen you somewhere… You look like someone I met a long time ago… are you, by any chance, Ash Ketchum?" the trainer asks Ash hopefully, with a blush.

Ash looks at the girl out of surprise. Wait… she knows him? But how? Wait a sec… she looks familiar too… He has probably met her before… is she her? Is there any chance that she's her? Ash had a similar encounter in Sinnoh. There was this teal-haired girl who he mistook to be a boy. But is this girl truly her? Yeah, she looked exactly like this girl, so it can be possible. "Yeah, I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town; but, are you Angie by any chance? I mean, I do remember meeting a girl just like you back in the Sinnoh region & her name was Angie. Was that you by any chance?" asks Ash to confirm her identity.

The trainer's blush intensifies at Ash's reply. He does remember her name! Well, she initially thought that he would've forgotten her, giving the fact that they met three whole years ago, but looks like he hasn't. That's awesome! "Well, nice to meet you again, Ash. Yes, I am that girl. We met in Professor Rowan's Summer Academy. And yes, my name's Angie." confirms Angie. Yes, she's Angie from Sinnoh. Yes, she's the girl he met before. Yes, he's the boy she developed feelings for.

"Awesome! Nice to meet you again, Angie!" Ash exclaims out of excitement. It's always great to meet his friends from the past!

"Nice to meet you too, Ash" Angie says shyly, as she leaves his collar & lets him free. She's still wondering why she was holding him by his collar was such a long time.

Ash breathes a sigh of relief, as he finally gets free from Angie's hold. "You know, I never expected to meet one of my friends in such situation", says Ash, as he gets up & dusts his clothes.

"Yeah… No one expects that. Anyways, I think we should now focus on finding a way out" replies Angie, with a broken heart. Friend… yeah… she's just a friend…

"You are right! I want to find my Pikachu & get out of here. I wonder where he is, though" wonders Ash. It's not possible for him to be in a Pokéball, because Ash still has his Pokéball. He would probably be somewhere else.

"I should search for my other Pokémon too, I guess" says Angie, trying to shift her focus away from her feelings. Luxray is exhausted. It would be better if she finds her other Pokémon. So, she joins Brawly & Shauna in the search for their Pokémon.

"Pikachu! Where are you?" Ash calls out. No response.

"Pikachu! Are you here?" Ash calls out again. Still no response.

"Pikachu! Can you hear me?" Ash calls out for Pikachu once again. No response at all.

"Pikachu!" Ash calls out with his all might. Still, he gets no response. And so, with no other option left, Ash joins the trio in the search for their Pokémon.

* * *

_About an hour later…_

We find the trainers (except for Ash) slumped on the ground. A pile of dug-out Pokéballs resides in a corner of the confiner. So far, they have made no success in their search for their Pokémon.

On the other hand, Blaine & his Ninetales only managed to scorch the surface of the metal wall. The Ninetales, now out of energy, is currently resting in her Pokéball; while Blaine's resting near the other trainers.

"We haven't found any of our Pokéballs" Angie says out of frustration. She's too tired to say that loudly.

"You talk about Pokéballs? Well, my Ninetales is completely out of power. She used all of her fire-type energy to the point that the sand particles around the metal wall turned into glass. But the damn wall… all it did was just suffer from a few burns. Technology has surely improved these days" says Blaine, finally appreciating something about the new generation.

"Pikachu… where are you?" Ash mutters in his tired state, as he still tries to dig through the Pokéballs in the search for his best buddy. Tears trickle down his face, as he keeps on trying. He won't give up. Not at any cost. He's gonna find Pikachu & Team Rocket's gonna pay.

That's it. Shauna had enough of it. She just wanted a peaceful, romantic vacation with her love! But nah! Team Rocket had to ruin everything! And now, here she is, trapped inside some confiner, with none of her Pokémon by her side. Those bastards… she slams her fists on the sand covered Pokéballs & yells at the top of her voice, "Team Rocket ruined our vacation!"

All of a sudden, the confiner jolts harshly, knocking everyone down to the ground.

"Ouch! That did hurt" says Blaine, holding his back. These Rockets… they will pay for sure!

"You do pack a punch, honey" says Brawly teasingly, with a wink. He can't miss this opportunity, can he?

"T… That's not me!" says Shauna embarrassedly, with a blush. Why would Brawly tease her now out of all the other times?

The confiner jolts again, knocking everyone down to the ground again.

"Whoa! What's happening?" Angie exclaims, as she tries to get up & balance herself.

"Maybe we are facing some turbulence" theorizes Brawly. Yeah, that's possible.

"Then why didn't we face it before?" Angie points out. She doesn't think it is turbulence; it's probably something else. Maybe it's a flock of flying-type Pokémon or something like that.

"Yeah, that's a good question" Brawly says, as he starts to think about some more explanations.

The confiner jolts for the third time in a row, & this time, it does more violently.

"Why is this thing jolting so much?! My bones are hurting!" complains Blaine. That's fixed. He's going to meet his orthopaedic doctor for sure.

And that's when they suddenly start to feel the temperature rise.

"Guys… don't you think it's suddenly getting way too hot here?" Ash points out an obvious fact, as he wipes of some sweat from his forehead. He's still digging through the Pokéballs in the search of Pikachu.

"Yeah… it surely has got hot" agrees Shauna, as she fans herself using her hands.

"I am used to it, so I got no problem" boasts Blaine. That's one of the perks of being a fire-type Pokémon trainer.

Just then, Brawly observes something. He observes one of the walls getting way too hot. "Hey, look! That wall's heating up!" Brawly says, as he points towards the wall. No wonder why the temperature is raising.

"But who's the one heating it?" wonders Angie. All their Pokémon are exhausted. Then who's doing it?

"Obviously someone's heating it up from the outside" says Brawly, pointing out an obvious fact.

"I know that, But exactly who?" asks Angie, as she starts to evaluate all the possibilities.

"How would I know?! It's not like this thing has some hole or a slit through which I could actually see out!" says Brawly with a slight irritation. What kind of questions is she asking?

Just then, a large circular piece from the heated wall gets blown away into the air, leaving a huge hole in the wall. The stolen Pokéballs immediately start to fall out of the hole.

"Well, on a second thought, let's get out of here" says Brawly with a sweatdrop, as he prepares to jump out of the confiner. Today's day is surely crazy.

"We can't just jump out like that! We don't have any safety gear!" worries Shauna. She won't want him to get hurt out of his recklessness.

"He-heh, who needs that? Here I go!" Brawly says nonchalantly, topping it with a wink. Without thinking twice, he dives out of the confiner with the Pokéballs.

"Brawly, No!" Shauna tries to stop him, but he's already gone.

"Well, he's not wrong. Let's get going" says Blaine, as he prepares to jump out of the confiner, too.

"But what about our Pokémon & the Pokéballs?" asks Shauna. They were searching for them this whole time! What about them?! They can't just abandon their Pokémon! They have to find them!

All of a sudden, the Confiner tilts in the direction of the hole, & everything starts to spill out.

"WHOAAA! Looks like we don't have any other option!" shouts Angie, as she starts slipping down, towards the created exit.

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" the trainers scream, as they start falling out of the dynamic metal confiner, one by one.

* * *

Ash's the only to trainer to keep his calm as he starts to fall down, with his back facing towards the ocean. He somersaults in the air so as to face the ocean. The first thing he sees is a bit concerning. Brawly & Blaine are nowhere to be seen; so he's going to assume that they've probably landed into the ocean safely. Shauna & Angie are safe & far away from the only visible island. But the second thing he sees gives him a huge relief. He found him! Finally! He found Pikachu!

He spots Pikachu trapped in a cylindrical glass confiner, with Pikachu trying desperately to break through the confiner. Looks like the confiner's both shockproof & shatterproof.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouts out, but the words never reach Pikachu. The confiner's soundproof too. Ash quickly understands this fact. He stretches his arms above his head & clasps his hands. With his body now set in a diving motion, Ash dives towards Pikachu & reaches near him with ease. He immediately grabs the confiner & tries to figure out the way to unlock it. Conveniently, the container's just twist-locked, so Ash just twists the glass cylinder & frees Pikachu easily.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaims out of happiness, as he hugs his best friend.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asks out of concern, as he returns the hug.

"Pika, Pika Pikachu!" says Pikachu with a sweet smile. Yup! He's absolutely fine.

"Oh, Pikachu… I missed you so much…" says Ash with tears in his eyes, as he tightens the hug. It's probably his last hug.

"Pika Pi, Pikachu Pika, Pika" says Pikachu with a calm smile. He missed him too.

The legendary duo is finally united again. But they don't have much time left. Ash soon realizes that they are going to crash straight on an inhabited Island. They're a done deal.

"Pikachu, I hate to break this moment, but we are about to crash right on the island" says Ash, pointing out the seriousness of the situation.

"Pika, Pika Pikachu Pi Pikachu?" asks Pikachu. They have to do something!

Ash tries to think of something, but fails to do so. The situation's way too overwhelming. He can't think straight. They probably have no options left & they don't have much time to create new options. "It was nice knowing you, buddy" says Ash, as he shreds a few tears.

"Pika Pikachu, Pikachu Pika Pi?" asks Pikachu confusedly. What is he trying to say?

"I hope we meet in our next life!" says Ash as he rotates & flings Pikachu away from the land as far as he can.

"Pikachu, Pika Pi!" yells Pikachu as he sails away from the land & Ash. No! Ash can't do this! They could've made a better plan!

"Goodbye, Pikachu!" says Ash, awaiting his apparent demise. It's over for him now.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouts with tears in his eyes. He can't let this happen! Ash shouldn't die! He doesn't deserve to die!

Ash closes his eyes & starts remembering all the happy moments of his life. He tries to remember all of his friends, his companions, his Pokémon & the moments he spent with them. He tries to remember his epic journey from the very first day of his adventure to this very last day of his demise.

But it never came.

Just a few feet above the ground, a mysterious flying-type Pokémon swoops in & catches Ash; saving him from his apparent doom.

Ash opens his eyes to find himself floating right above the ground. The mysterious Pokémon slowly lowers him down on the ground.

Ash turns behind to see who his saviour is & gets the biggest surprise of his life.

"Charizard?!" Ash exclaims out of surprise. How did Charizard know that he's in danger? How did he find him? And most importantly, how did he make that hole into that almost indestructible dynamic metal confiner? Ash's mind is sprouting with loads of questions!

"Grou!" Charizard roars in a low voice. Yes, it's him. But he still has things to deal with. He has already rescued Brawly & Blaine. Three more to go! Within a blink of an eye, Charizard swoops up into the sky towards the two falling ladies & a falling Pikachu. He grabs all of them in a single go & returns to Ash with them.

"Thanks Charizard", the ladies thank him for saving them. That experience was scary!

"Pikachu Pika!" Pikachu thanks Charizard for saving him & his reckless, idiot trainer. Speaking of his trainer, well… He deserves a _**Thunderbolt**_! Pikachu immediately charges up for a _**Thunderbolt**_ & uses it on Ash.

Pikachu used _**Thunderbolt**_!

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" Ash literally shouts out of shock. Well, he deserved it for his stupidity & recklessness. Ash slumps onto the ground, covered with soot.

"Pikachu! Why would you do that?!" Angie asks angrily. How can he do this to his own trainer?

"Pika Pi, Pikachu Pi" Pikachu says nonchalantly. He should've thought it before he chose to die.

"Well… I don't understand exactly what you are trying to say, but I do understand it's not good to shock your own trainer" Angie tries to explain Pikachu.

"Pi Pika Pikachu, Pikachu Pika, Pi Pika" Pikachu explains Angie why he did it. Well, when you have a rocking & a shocking personality, it's your duty to knock some sense into your trainer's head if he chooses to die instead of thinking of a way to protect himself.

"Uh... Can someone translate it to me?" asks Angie with a sweatdrop. She has no idea what he's trying to say.

"He's saying that he wanted to knock some sense in my mind by shocking me" mutters Ash in his shocked state.

"Uh… Okay…" says Angie with another sweatdrop. Like trainer, like Pokémon. Both of them are absolutely crazy. She's gonna leave this topic for now.

"Hey Charizard, if you don't mind me asking, can you tell me where my honey is?" asks Shauna out of concern. Where is her love?

Charizard sweatdrops. Well, what's she talking about? Is she talking about Beedrill Honey? Or is she using one of those weird nicknames humans give to each other's mate? If she's talking about her mate, then it should probably be that man he rescued earlier. Maybe that's right… Guess he will just point that man out!

"Grou!" Charizard roars in a low voice, as he points towards the beach of the island. Shauna spots Blaine collecting the Pokéballs which fell from the confiner, while she found her love searching for them in the ocean.

"Okay, so they are collecting the Pokéballs. Well, what do you say Angie? Wanna join them?" Shauna asks Angie. Afterall, their primary mission is to retrieve the stolen Pokémon. Heck, they still have to find their Pokémon!

"Sure! That way, we might find our Pokémon too!" says Angie with a soft smile. It's time to get back to work!

Ash's about to offer his help too, when suddenly, he sees a weird floating thing in the sky, flying in random directions. "Hey, what's that?" Ash asks in a weak voice, as he points the thing out. He still hasn't recovered completely from the shock.

"Seems like Team Rocket's hot air balloon to me" answers Shauna. Yup, that's definitely Team Rocket's balloon.

The balloon suddenly changes its course & turns towards the island.

"Looks like it's gonna crash here" predicts Angie. That balloon's definitely headed towards the island.

The balloon starts to lose its altitude rapidly & crashes right on the beach of the island. Team Rocket slowly crawls out of their deflated balloon & find themselves face-to-face with the trainers, which they took as their prisoners.

"Team Rocket!" the trainers exclaim at the same time with irritation & disgust. When will these morons amend their ways & live a peaceful, crime-free life?

The trio smirks evilly. Guess it's time for their motto.

"Prepare for Trouble, you've ruined our plans" says Jessie, with a dark expression.

"And make it double, we still have a chance" says James, with a similar dark expression & a rose in his mouth. (How does he get that unlimited supply of fresh, sparkly roses? It seems as if he pulls them out of nowhere! Indeed, it's one of the biggest mysteries that remain unsolved to this date.)

"To protect –" Jessie tries to say her line, but gets interrupted by Angie.

"Just shut up already! I've had enough of that dumb motto of yours! I don't wanna hear that again!" yells Angie out of irritation. Their motto's the dumbest thing she has ever seen!

"Hey! That's extremely rude!" complains Jessie. Didn't she learn any manners in her childhood?

"Yeah, how dare you make fun of our motto? It's the best motto in the entire world!" argues James. How can any performance be dumb when he's the star performer of the performance?

"Guys, let's drop it for now. Let's focus on our mission. We're here to take back what we've stolen rightfully. Give us our Pokémon!" demands Meowth. He won't let their efforts go in vain; especially not after they've already celebrated their victory.

"In your dreams! These Pokémon don't belong to you!" argues Ash. Team Rocket's not getting any of those stolen Pokémon.

"If you don't hand them over, you will have to face consequences!" threatens Meowth, as he pulls out his claws to emphasize his threat.

Charizard rolls his eyes. Seriously?! These guys plan to threaten them with claws? Well… he can do better than that! Charizard immediately charges up for _**Dragon Breath**_ & uses it on Meowth. Charizard used _**Dragon Breath**_!

Meowth, not expecting any of such surprise tricks, puts no effort to avoid the attack & takes the entire brunt of it. Meowth gets covered in soot & blows off a cloud of smoke, before fainting. Meowth fainted!

Charizard, to keep up the ante of his terror, fires a few _**Flamethrowers**_ in the air to terrify the Rockets.

"On second thought, let's get out of here, Jessie" says James, changing his mind about their initial plans.

"Yeah, you're right James" agrees Jessie. It's better if they get out of here & as far away as they can from this dreaded Charizard.

And so, Team Rocket immediately starts to repair their hot air balloon. The only problems with their balloon are two broken suspension ropes. Thanks to their great experience with hot air balloons, they manage to repair in absolutely no time. They reflate the balloon & prepare to leave the island.

"Are you going to let them escape so easily?" Angie asks Charizard, to which she gets a grunt from Charizard as a reply in the return.

As soon as the hot air balloon starts gains some altitude, Charizard fires an already charged _**Fire Blast**_ on the balloon. It turns out that he has been charging the attack this whole time. Charizard used _**Fire Blast**_! The attack hits the balloon accurately & sets it on fire.

"AAAH! What do we do now, James?" panics Jessie. That darn Charizard… he ruined all of their plans! First off, he appears out of nowhere & scorches their expensive dynamic metal confiner with _**Overheat**_, then cuts into the surface with _**Solar Beam**_ & then fills the cuts with extremely destructive dragon-type energy by using _**Dragon Breath**_. That way, he destroys their dynamic metal confiner easily, since their confiner wasn't dragon-proof. (Dragon-proofing of anything is way too expensive & totally out of their budget) Secondly, he cuts off the suspension linkages of the Hot air balloon, making it lose its control & spilling out all of their hard-earned Pokémon. And last but not the least; he lets them run away, just to set their balloon on fire. That's the worst kind of mockery!

"I don't know!" shrugs James. He has no idea what to do. Their balloon's on fire, so the only thing they can do is pray to the Arceus to protect them from any harm.

"We should never celebrate our success before completing our work!" Meowth blurts out, as he slowly recovers from his Charizard's attack.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" the Team Rocket Trio screams in a chorus, as they get blasted off into the sky for the second time in a single day. They soon disappear somewhere near the horizon, leaving a brief twinkle in the sky.

"Wobbuffet!" screams Wobbuffet, making his presence known among the Rockets.

"Now that the Team Rocket's gone, let's get back to our mission!" says Shauna with a smile. Her revenge's finally complete. Let's hope that they never show their faces to them ever again. Afterall, who would want their vacations to get ruined by scoundrels like Team Rocket?

"Sure!" says Angie. She has to find her Pokémon, afterall. The two ladies join the two Gym Leaders in their search for the lost Pokéballs.

"Hey Charizard," says Ash, finally recovering from Pikachu's thunderbolt.

"Grou?" asks Charizard with a soft roar.

"Thanks for saving all of us today" thanks Ash. Charizard saved the day!

"Grou!" says Charizard with a mild roar. He has learnt it from Ash. Help everyone in need, & they'll help you in return.

"And thanks for saving my life" thanks Ash with his full heart. Charizard did a great job today.

"Grou!" says Charizard with a smirk. Now they're equals.

"Anyways, will you help us out with the search?" Ash asks hopefully. Charizard would turn out to be a great help with the search!

Charizard narrows his eyes. Seriously?! He thought Ash would let him rest now; afterall, he saved his life & drove Team Rocket away. Guess he has to teach him a lesson!

"Grou!" grunts Charizard, as he jerks his head in the opposite direction of Ash.

"What? Aren't you interested?!" Ash asks out of surprise. Normally, Charizard's one of his most helpful Pokémon, who's willing to help out anyone. Then what's wrong with him today? Is he tired? That's when Ash notices something. He notices an evil glint in Charizard's eyes. Ash gulps. He's literally gonna be a toast.

Just then, a low-temperature _**Flamethrower**_ hits Ash, covering him with soot. Ash drops down onto the ground immediately. His Pokémon are surely crazy. But he won't trade them for anything!

* * *

_About an hour later…_

We find Ash & Blaine standing near the remnants of the Pokémon Centre, with Nurse Joy. It turns out that when she informed the League Authorities about the incident, they immediately contacted Professor Oak for help. Professor Oak, in turn, instructed Charizard & sent him towards the Cinnabar Island to rescue our heroes. The Police Forces on the Cinnabar Island are limited & inexperienced, & so is the firefighting squad of the Island; which is why Blaine made a deal with the police to oversee such matters.

After Team Rocket was dealt with, the trainers searched for as many Pokéballs as they can & managed to recover about a hundred & twenty Pokéballs out of all. Luckily, Angie, Blaine, Brawly, & Shauna found their respective Pokéballs soon. The league authorities arrived soon at the island & rescued the trainers. They immediately deployed their search teams in the search of remaining Pokéballs & soon recovered all of them.

Brawly & Shauna are back on their way to the resort they're staying in to rest after this long & crazy day. They've promised Blaine to visit his hotel soon & enjoy the hot springs.

Blaine, impressed by Angie's selflessness & capabilities, revealed his identity to her, & offered her a free stay at his hotel. The catch? Well, she has to figure out the hotel's address by solving the riddle! Currently, she's finding out the answer for Blaine's riddle, & is probably on her way to his hotel.

Ash & Blaine just finished distributing the last of the recovered Pokéballs to their respective trainers.

"Finally, it's done" Ash breathes a sigh of relief. That tourist was the last person to lose his Pokémon.

"Yeah, today's day was insane" says Blaine, as he stretches his back to relax his strained muscles.

"Insane? It was absolutely crazy!" Ash laughs out. Today's day was totally unforgettable. He will never forget it for the rest of his life.

"Your Charizard saved the day! He has surely got quite stronger!" appreciates Blaine. He's a fire-type Pokémon trainer, so it's easy for him to determine the power of any fire type Pokémon.

"Yup, we've come a long way since the beginning of our adventures. What about your Magmar? How's he doing?" asks Ash out of curiosity. He hasn't seen him today… where is he?

"Well, why don't you see him yourself? Heck, why don't we have a one-on-one rematch? Your Charizard VS my Magmar! What do you say?" offers Blaine again. Frankly speaking, Blaine wants to avenge his eight year old defeat. Also, who wouldn't like a match with a champion? He has a chance to defeat one!

"Awesome! I & my Charizard are always more than ready to have a battle!" Ash accepts Blaine's challenge. It's gonna be one memorable match!

"Great! Let's have our match after we help out Nurse Joy with setting up some machines!" says Blaine. There's no time to slack off! Time to get back to work!

"Sure! I can't wait! Let's help her out!" replies Ash out of excitement. He can't wait to battle!

* * *

As soon as they got finished with helping out Nurse Joy, Ash & Blaine rushed towards Blaine's new gym – The top of the volcano (where Ash had his gym battle about eight years ago) – to battle & test each other's strength & strategies. The proposed & promised battle of Ash VS Blaine is about to begin.

Ash & Blaine are now currently standing on the opposite ends of the volcanic crater, the same place where Ash had his Gym Battle all those years ago. Those columns rising from the base of the crater; the sweltering, bubbling magma lake obscuring the view of the base of crater; the red, hot lava, ready to melt anything it touches; the scenic beauty of the valley with a brook cutting through the lush green mangrove forests surrounding the volcano; everything seems to be the same, as if nothing has changed in the past eight years.

Ash has already felt a lot of déjà vu today. He can't handle any more of that. If he gets the feeling of Déjà vu for any more times, he will surely have to question his conscience about the possibility of time travel without the help of Celebi.

"Are you ready, Ash?" asks Blaine, ready to avenge his eight-year old defeat, & test the capabilities of a champion.

"You bet!" replies Ash enthusiastically. He can't wait to prove his worth as the newly-made champion of Alola. "Go Charizard!" shouts Ash, adrenaline now rushing through his body, making his heart beat more vigorously.

"Grou!" Charizard roars in compliance, as he flies forward & lands on a column nearest to Ash. He too is ready to win once again. He won't let anyone defeat him, especially an opponent which he has already defeated.

"Heh," Blaine smirks. Ash's getting pretty overconfident. "We won't go easy on you Ash. We've become a lot stronger than what we previously were. He's my first & strongest Pokémon. You've battled him before. And I would like to say that we've evolved & improvised! Now, it's time to show our might!" announces Blaine. Oh, he can't wait anymore! This is gonna surprise Ash! "Go, Magmortar!"

"Mag…mortar?!" exclaims Ash, flabbergasted by Blaine's revelation. Blaine evolved his Magmar? But, when, how, why?

On Blaine's call, a portion from the lake of magma starts bubbling vigorously. Within an instant, a column of Magma shoots all the way up to the Volcano's top. On closer inspection, one can find a Pokémon within the magma column. The Pokémon covered in lava then lands on the columnar platform nearest to Blaine. The magma soon slithers down the body of the Pokémon, revealing its actual identity.

The Pokémon has two cannon-like arms, with three claws on each end of the cannon. Its body is painted in yellow & red shaped flames. It has a few flame-like protrusions jutting out of from its back & arms, which are again coloured in the shades of flames. Again, it has a head shaped like a fireball. Indeed, the Pokémon is none other than Magmortar.

"MAGMORTAR!" the Blast Pokémon bellows. He has evolved. He has gotten stronger. He has come a long way since his humiliating defeat against this Charizard. It's time for a fiery revenge!

"Ready to battle, Champion of Alola?" asks Blaine for one last time.

"I love surprises! And I can't wait to battle your Magmortar!" says Ash with determination. He's still in awe with the fact that Blaine evolved his Magmortar, & he's getting a chance to battle against it! He can't possibly wait!

"Alright, Let the Battle begin!" announces a referee. Apparently, a referee was present on the battlefield during this entire duration of time.

"Charizard," says Ash, deciding to begin the match in style.

"Magmortar," says Blaine, planning to overpower Charizard with the first move itself.

"Use _**Flamethrower**_!" both Ash & Blaine shout in unison. Apparently, both of the opponents decided to go with the same move they used all those years ago to begin their match. Another déjà vu for Ash.

The _**Flamethrowers**_ collide, causing a small explosion to rock the field, & obscure the vision of the trainers with smoke. But Ash won't let Blaine take the lead by waiting for the smoke to clear up. He knows better about not to do so.

"Charizard, don't stop! Use _**Air Slash**_!" commands Ash, trusting Charizard speed & capabilities of defining the Target's location even if the ground's covered with smoke.

"Grou!" Charizard roars, as he takes off the ground. He knows what Ash's thinking, & he has to prove himself & his abilities. He's not an easy opponent to defeat, afterall. Charizard immediately prepares his wings for the attack. Once ready, Charizard flaps his wings, sending blades of Razor sharp air into smoke, flying towards the direction in which Blaine was standing. Apparently, Magmortar was hiding somewhere in that direction.

Blaine immediately understands that it won't be possible for Magmortar to evade the attack. It's better to block it. That's right! "Magmortar, use _**Thunder Punch**_ on the _**Air Slash**_!" commands Blaine.

The two razor-sharp air blades swish through the smoke, clearing it in the process. Magmortar figures out the direction of the incoming attack by analysing this fact. He immediately charges his fists with electrical energy. As soon as the _**Air Slash**_ closes in, Magmortar intercepts them with his _**Thunder Punch**_, effectively negating the effects of both the attacks & clearing the smoke off the battlefield.

"Huh?!" Ash exclaims out of surprise. Blaine stopped a flying type move using an electric type move?! That's an awesome strategy! But there's no time to marvel at the strategies of his opponent!

"Charizard, use _**Dragon Breath**_!" Ash commands. Charizard breathes deeply & starts accumulating dragon energy into his mouth. A ball of Dragon type energy starts to form in his mouth.

"Magmortar, use _**Fire Punch**_ on Charizard's mouth before he uses that!" commands Blaine, thinking out-of-the-box. If Magmortar manages to hit the fire punch before Charizard can use his move, Charizard himself will have to suffer the entire brunt of both the moves.

Magmortar, understanding his trainer's reasoning, jumps across the columnar platforms as fast as possible, while coating its arm with fire type energy, preparing its _**Fire Punch**_ attack. But unluckily, Charizard already finishes charging up the Dragon Breath attack. Charizard shoots out the spherical, neon-green coloured Dragon type energy ball, followed by bright trail of Dragon Type energy.

Ash smirks. He got this.

Blaine, after evaluating almost every possible outcome with an unimaginable speed, commands immediately, "Magmortar, use your Fire Punch to block the Dragon Breath!"

Ash's smirk falters at Blaine's move.

Magmortar stops on the same columnar platform as Charizard & uses its Fire covered hands to cover its body. The Dragon Breath hits Magmortar, but the Fire Punch fizzles out the Dragon Breath to a great extent, hence reducing the damage to minimal.

"He-heh, Ash; you can't defeat my Magmortar using such moves!" mocks Blaine in a competitive manner.

Ash grits his teeth. His projectile strategy doesn't seem to work. He has to go for physical moves, but that would be a lot more risky. Wait… the last time he remembers, he defeated Blaine's Magmar using physical moves… That's it! Time to finally use THAT combo! Yeah, he hasn't used that combo in years, but that shouldn't affect its power or accuracy or reliability, should it? Hell yeah, he definitely got it this time! A victorious grin already spreads on Ash's face. He's gonna end this in just the way he ended it all those years ago!

"You are right, Blaine," says Ash with a cheeky grin. "Which is why, I gonna end this the way we began the match. That is, by repeating the history. Charizard, it's time to repeat our way to the victory! Use the _**Cinnabar Combo! **_**(*1*)**"

"_**Cinnabar Combo**_?!" exclaims Blaine in surprise. Is that a thing?

"Mag?!" even Magmortar is baffled. What's that?

Charizard grins at the prospect of using the _**Cinnabar Combo**_. He hasn't used in ages, & he wanted to try it out for quite a while now. Guess there can't be a better opportunity than this one! The same location, the same opponent & his heightened capabilities… It's just perfect!

"Grou!" Charizard roars, as he takes off towards Magmortar, who's standing on the same platform. Charizard starts encircling the Magmortar, waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute his combo perfectly.

Blaine grits his teeth. What the heck is Ash planning to do? He has to do something which would stop Charizard from revolving around Magmortar. Wait! He has an idea!

"Magmortar, use Thunder Punch on the ground!" commands Blaine. This should work, probably.

"Mag!" Magmortar grunts an equivalent of acceptance. He immediately covers its right fist with electric type energy & slams it onto the columnar platform. The attack sends shockwaves through the platform, which causes some cracks to develop in it; & sends a few chunks of rocks flying away, in Charizard's trajectory. This also causes the surrounding area of the Pokémon to get covered in smoke once again.

Ash smirks. That's the perfect opportunity. "NOW!" shouts Ash excitedly. He's confident about it. This is gonna be a cakewalk.

Before the chunks of rocks can hit Charizard, Charizard receives the signal he has been waiting for. Charizard immediately dives towards Magmortar while dodging a few chunks of rocks & grabs the right arm of Magmortar, which is still pinned to the ground. He clutches it tight & starts ascending upwards, flapping his wings vigorously to gain more speed.

"Mag!" Magmortar exclaims in shock. What the hell just happened?

After gaining a safe height swiftly, Charizard clutches to Magmortar's arm more tightly. He then starts rotating, making Magmortar dizzy in the process.

Blaine grits his teeth more harshly. How didn't he think about this when Ash mentioned about the Cinnabar Combo? Why did he ignore the fact that Ash can actually plan to defeat him using the same strategy he used earlier to do so? This mistake can cost him this match! Heck, Magmortar, who was so eager for this rematch, his confidence would take a severe hit if they lose once again against the same opponents. He has to do something to stop this from happening. He has to turn the tables at all costs!

"Magmortar, are you okay?" shouts Blaine, concerned about Magmortar & to check if he responds, but to no avail. Magmortar is way too dazed to understand anything coherently & out of the audible range of Blaine's voice.

At this moment, Ash's excitement knew no bounds. "Charizard, keep it up!" cheers Ash at his loudest voice. Some Déjà vu aren't that bad & frustrating afterall.

Soon after ensuring that Magmortar is dazed enough to stop thinking & struggling, Charizard soars even higher into the sky, while still holding on tight to the Blast Pokémon. After gaining incredibly high height, Charizard starts spinning Magmortar, in a way which resembled as if Magmortar's circumnavigating the planet. Charizard keeps on spinning with his all might to gain as much torque as possible. After gaining as much torque as he can, Charizard, with all of his power, sends Magmortar on a collision course, back towards the volcano.

The dazed Magmortar puts no resistance or struggle to prevent or change his fate. The unresponsive opponent of Ash's Charizard starts sailing back towards the Volcano at unimaginable speed; with his apparent collision with the Volcano being powered by the Torque generated by Charizard's motion & the gravitational force.

"NO!" shouts Blaine, while seeing his beloved Pokémon in such a critical situation. But he's helpless for now. All he can do is watch his Magmortar & the fiery bright trail which has engulfed him crash harshly into the volcano, which is inevitable.

Magmortar crashes. The strength of the crash can be imagined by the fact that it sends shockwaves all the way to both Ash & Blaine, effectively knocking them down. The shockwaves generated by the collision's force are so powerful, that it shatters the tallest column of the volcano into pieces. The ground gets covered by smoke once again, sending a powerful gust in all the directions. The smoke obscures the vision of both the opponents, while pelting them with a few, small chunks of the broken column, which they try to avoid by shielding themselves with their hands, but failing miserably at protecting themselves.

Charizard, after gaining back his composure, slowly starts flying down towards the actual, volcanic battlefield. The smoke-filled battlefield makes it a bit difficult for Charizard to search for Magmortar, but he eventually finds him lying on one of the smallest columns, located just near the tallest column. Apparently, Magmortar crashed into the tallest column first, effectively destroying it due to the force & power-level of the attack; then, the recoil force generated by the attack might have probably sent the Blast Pokémon towards the smaller column.

Charizard, using its wings to lower himself down on the column where Magmortar is lying & also to clear the smoke around him, takes a moment to process everything that has happened right now. Charizard pants, as he takes his time to calm down a bit after pulling off the extremely powerful but exhausting _**Cinnabar Combo**_. He observes the Magmortar, scanning for any signs of movement. It seems like Magmortar's making no movement. He slowly approaches the lying Magmortar to check whether he's okay or not.

"That was… Powerful… Ow…" says Blaine as he gets up, holding his back with his left hand to support himself. Yeah, he's old. Yes, his bones are getting weak. So what? That's not gonna stop him from doing what he loves!

On the other hand, Ash is awestruck by what just happened. As a way to appreciate Charizard, He immediately springs up & shouts, "Way to go, Charizard! That was totally awesome!"

The smoke soon gets cleared, and we find a Charizard staring down at a fallen Magmortar, with the Magmortar's back pointing towards him.

"Magmortar has three minutes. If he fails to respond in three minutes, he will be disqualified", announces the referee.

"Magmortar, are you okay?" shouts Blaine, to confirm his Pokémon's health status. But he gets no reply. All he sees a glint from the direction of Magmortar. Seeing his Pokémon's unresponsive state, Blaine falls down on his knees. "No… this can't happen… No…" Blaine says, as he stares in Magmortar's direction.

"So Blaine, what do you say?" Ash says with a victorious grin. The game's over.

"Well…" mutters Blaine with a lifeless expression, but then all of a sudden, he gets up & commands, "Magmortar, use _**Dazed Destruction!**_ **(*2*)**"

"What?!" Ash exclaims in shock.

Almost immediately, Magmortar rolls in Charizard's direction & shoots spiral shaped rays towards the flame Pokémon. Charizard, not expecting any reaction from the Blast Pokémon, fails to evade those rays & gets confused. Magmortar, not wanting to waste the golden opportunity, immediately gets up & covers his right arm with crackling electricity. He spins around thrice to gain some momentum & then punches Charizard right into his stomach. The force pushes Charizard to a good distance, just barely at the edge of the column.

"But… But… Magmortar fainted when he crashed down, right?" asks Ash to no one in particular. He still is processing what just happened.

"He-heh, do you really think my Magmortar's that weak? After getting defeated you all those years ago, do you seriously think that we would've not learned anything? If you can use combos, then so we can!" Blaine replies, taking the initiative to answer Ash's question.

Magmortar then starts summoning rocks from literally nowhere & starts hurling them towards the confused Charizard. Charizard, being in a confused state, does nothing to protect himself from getting hurt. He soon gets trapped into a tomb of rocks. The crashing of the rocks causes smoke to rise again & once again obscures the vision of the trainers.

"But what about that reaction of yours? What was that?" Ash asks in a panicked state to Blaine.

"A fake! As soon as I got the signal from my Magmortar that he's alright, I faked all my emotions, just so as to give you a false sense of victory! Ain't I a great actor?!" Blaine says smugly. He threw him off. That's pretty cool. He never believed that he's actually gonna fall for that. Guess he's just a great actor!

Magmortar then jumps as high as he can, as his legs start to glow white, & stomps his feet on the columnar ground harshly, as he lands onto it. This causes the column to vibrate violently, disfiguring its dimensions in the process, while dealing a significant damage to Charizard. And with this, the combo comes to an end. The smoke soon gets cleared, & we find Magmortar looking at the pile of rocks with a serious expression.

"Charizard has Three minutes to respond! If he fails to do so, he will be disqualified!" the referee announces once again, performing his duty diligently.

"Charizard, are you okay?" Ash tries to ask Charizard, but gets no response.

"Charizard, can you hear me?" Ash tires to ask again. Still no response.

"Charizard has Two minutes to respond!" the referee warns.

"There's no chance of Charizard sustaining so many powerful & super-effective attacks, Ash. He has probably fainted," says Blaine, while smirking. Yes, he did it. He defeated a champion of a region.

"No! That's not possible!" Ash shouts, wanting to deny the apparent fact. No! It's not possible! His Charizard is strong enough to sustain all the attacks which Blaine used on him. He hasn't fainted! He's not giving up on him! The match hasn't ended yet!

"Charizard! Please get up!" Ash pleads to Charizard. Still no response.

"Charizard has One minute left to respond!" the referee warns again.

"Charizard…" Ash mutters, as he slowly starts to lose his hope. No, No, No! He can't lose hope at this time! It isn't over yet!

"Never give up until the end!" Ash shouts at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Never give up until the end.

The motto of his trainer rings into his head, as he slowly starts to return to his normal state. The last time he remembers; that sly Magmortar used _**Confuse Ray**_ on him. Everything seemed to be fuzzy after that. Now that he's back in his proper mind-set, he's finally starting to feel his tiredness & pain. And why is everything so dark? Where is he now?

As Charizard takes a better look around him, he finds himself trapped inside a _**Rock Tomb**_. Great. So things are really bad for him. Just great.

"Charizard has thirty seconds to respond!" he hears a voice, announcing the time of the sealing of his fate. Wow. Things just got even worse.

"Charizard! Never give up until the end!" he hears another voice say once again. Apparently, the voice is of Ash; & he isn't wrong. Charizard has very few seconds left. He needs to break out of the tomb at all costs. He can't fail Ash at this point. Ash's a champion now, & he's a champion's Pokémon. Their respect, reputation & credibility are at stake. He has to do something!

Charizard tries to push the rocks, but due to his weakened & injured condition, he fails to do so. He struggles a lot, but the rocks don't move at all.

"Charizard has twenty seconds left!" the referee announces again.

After hearing that warning, Charizard struggles even harder, but fails to move the rocks. They are simply way too heavy. It's almost impossible for him to move the rocks surrounding him in such a condition.

"Fifteen seconds left!" the referee announces once again.

No, No, No! This can't be happening! Charizard tries even harder to move the rocks, but to no avail. It's useless. He's useless. He failed Ash when Ash needed him the most. He failed.

"Never give up until the end, Charizard! I believe in you!" he hears Ash's voice again.

Never give up until the end.

Ash's right.

Never give up until the end.

Suddenly, Charizard feels an energy starting to build up within his body. He closes his eyes to feel it. The energy feels like a divine power, which slowly starts to take over his body, which it does within an instant. The next very moment, Charizard opens his eyes, which are now glowing blue.

Charizard smirks. It's show time.

* * *

Fifteen seconds. He has only fifteen seconds.

Ash looks hopefully & tensely in the direction where Charizard was apparently present. Till now, he expected Charizard to break through the _**Rock Tomb**_, but so far, Charizard hasn't. And they now only have twenty seconds left. This is the moment when Ash starts losing his hope. But still, he hopes for a last moment miracle, even if he knew it was highly impossible.

"Looks like I won, Ash", says Blaine smugly, even before the official declaration. He defeated a champion. What can be a better achievement for him?

"We still have some time", Ash replies with a serious expression.

"Fifteen seconds left!" the referee announces once again.

"Never give up until the end, Charizard! I believe in you!" Ash shouts once again. He won't give up until the end.

"You know, it's pretty useless to shout, knowing that you've just 10 seconds left", Blaine again says smugly.

"You'll see", Ash replies with a neutral expression.

All of a sudden, the rocks encasing Charizard start shaking. This shocks both Magmortar & Blaine.

"Ten seconds!" the referee warns again.

Within a second, the rocks start to rock violently, & the next moment before anyone can grasp anything that's happening, the rocks start to levitate, freeing Charizard in the process. Charizard then immediately gets up & clasps his hands. The rocks, following the movements of his hands, smash together to form a sphere made of rocks. Instantly, Charizard frees his hands & spreads them wide. The rocks follow the same, & all the rocks get thrown away in random directions, followed by a loud battle cry from Charizard.

"Grou!" Charizard roars with all of his might, as most of the rocks pelt the columns & a few of them hit Magmortar. Charizard learned & used _**Ancient Power**_!

"Great Job, Charizard! I knew you can do it!" Ash says zealously, after seeing his trusty Pokémon get back into action.

"What?! But how?!" says Blaine, flabbergasted & confused by the sudden turn of events. How did this happen? How can Charizard get up after taking the brunt of so many attacks? And did he just use Ancient Power?!

"It's because we never give up Blaine. We never give up until it's over", this time, Ash replies smugly. Just then he quickly spots a stunned Magmortar, which is still trying to process what's happening. Ash smirks internally. This is his chance to get back into the game.

"Alright Charizard, let's end this quickly! Use _**Dragon Breath**_!" commands Ash.

Charizard immediately starts charging up his _**Dragon Breath**_. A ball of dragon type energy starts forming into his mouth.

"Magmortar, look out!" Blaine tries to warn Magmortar. Yes, Magmortar could've attacked or defended instead of just looking out. But both the trainer & the Pokémon are way too stunned to think anything explicitly.

Charizard finishes charging up the attack & fires it towards Magmortar. As soon as the fine green beam of dark energy reaches near the Magmortar, he attempts to dodge it by jumping into a different direction, but fails miserably. Magmortar takes the entire brunt of the attack. The powerful dragon type attack causes an explosion, sending Magmortar flying away. Magmortar crashes onto the top of another pillar.

"Charizard, use _**Overheated Fire Spin**_ **(*3*)** before he gets up!" Ash commands, keeping up the ante of the rapid attacks. He won't give Magmortar any chance to attack! Even if a single attack hits Charizard now, they are bound to lose & he doesn't want that to happen!

Charizard complies, & immediately takes off into the Magmortar's direction, while charging up the powerful fire-type attack combo at the same time. The moment he closes in & reaches near Magmortar, Charizard fires the combo attack. An extremely hot column-shaped spiral flame emerges out of Charizard's mouth & traps the Magmortar, who's still lying on the ground.

"Magmortar, No!" exclaims Blaine dejectedly. They were so close to the victory! How did the tables turn so easily & quickly? Where did he go wrong? No, No, No! There's no time to think! It's time to act, & that too fast! Ash has benefitted a lot from Charizard's speed in today's match. What if he, somehow, slowed down his speed? What if he uses _**Rock Tomb**_ again? Would that be a good idea? First off, Charizard's fast. Secondly, Magmortar is trapped inside an overpowered _**Fire Spin**_. And last but not the least, he has no other choice. The _**Overheated Fire Spin**_ won't do much damage, since it's a fire-type move, but it surely has trapped Magmortar. Rock Tomb might help them to fizzle out the fiery prison. Guess he has to use Rock Tomb, afterall.

Charizard is currently circling the fire column, which he created. He's pumped up once again. He's probably back on the verge of victory. Just a one or two more attacks, & he's gonna win. If he gets hit by any powerful attack, he's gonna lose.

"So Blaine; how's that?" Ash says with a sly smirk. Yup, he's changed the course of the match!

"I won't get optimistic about my win, had if I been on your place; because I am still in the game. Magmortar, use _**Rock Tomb**_!" counters Blaine, while commanding the now-standing Magmortar.

Magmortar once again starts summoning the rocks out of nowhere, & starts hurling them toward Charizard. But Charizard knows better what to do next.

"Charizard, use _**Ancient Power**_ on those rocks & throw them back towards Magmortar!" Ash commands with a vehemently. He was hoping & sort of predicting for Blaine to make this mistake. This is gonna cost Blaine a lot.

Charizard once again activates his _**Ancient Power**_. His eyes start glowing blue. He uses the _**Ancient Power**_ to stop all the rocks in their path before any of the rocks could hit him.

"Uh-oh…" is the only thing Blaine could utter. His attack's now gonna cost him the match. What can he do? What can he do to reverse the damage which would get inflicted upon Magmortar? He can use _**Fire Blast **_on the rocks, but that would probably end the match in a draw, or he might lose it. Guess he has no choice, once again. Let's at least try to end this match with a draw. Ash planned & played it really well. He's indeed worthy of his title of Champion. He deserves it.

"Magmortar, let's end this. Prepare to use _**Fire Blast**_ & use it just before the rocks can hit you." Blaine says with a subtle smile, accepting his fate without any regret.

Magmortar immediately starts charging up fire-type energy for his most powerful attack. Soon after his previous attack fizzles out, Charizard is left with a rocky sphere of substantial volume. Charizard, using his Ancient Power, immediately launches the rocky sphere towards Magmortar. Meanwhile, Magmortar finishes charging up his attack & as soon as he sees the sphere, he fires his Fire Blast at the incoming rocky spherical projectile. On contact, the attacks release tremendous amounts of energy, resulting into a huge explosion, powerful than the previous one. The explosion knocks both the trainers off their feet once again. The entire battlefield gets covered into smoke once again.

Slowly, both Ash & Blaine try to regain their posture as they try to stand up after the huge explosion. The smoke once again obscures their vision from the result of the game. They wait with anticipation for the smoke to clear.

As the smoke slowly starts to fade, the result becomes more & more clear. Blaine spots Magmortar lying on the column, clearly knocked out; while Charizard is nowhere to be seen. "Charizard? Where are you?" Blaine hears Ash calling out for Charizard. But he gets no reply. Soon, the smoke gets cleared completely, giving a clear look of the result to both the trainers & the referee. Turns out that Charizard took off immediately before the explosion happened, almost completely avoiding any damage caused by the explosion. For now, the Flame Pokémon is enjoying circling the battlefield, enjoying the view of the beautiful scenery & the calm sea breeze that the island has to offer.

"Magmortar is unable to battle. Charizard wins!" the referee declares immediately after the result became lucent.

"Yeah! Way to go, Charizard! We did it!" Ash says enthusiastically & joyfully. They did it! They defeated Blaine once again! He won his first match after returning to Kanto!

"Grou!" Charizard roars with joy, as he lands back near Ash. Charizard then turns towards the sky & shoots multiple _**Flamethrowers **_to celebrate their hard earned victory.

Blaine observes the jolly champion. His happiness seems to have no bounds. Blaine smiles. The future seems to be safe, as long as this kid is in the play.

"Magmortar, return", Blaine says, as he pulls out Magmortar's Pokéball & recalls him. The Pokéball emits a red light & sucks Magmortar into it. "You did a great job, brother", Blaine says to the Pokéball with a small smile, before shrinking it & clipping it back to his Pokéball belt. Blaine then turns towards Ash & says, "Congratulations on your win, Ash. You've proven yourself to be a great trainer & a capable champion. I wish you all the best for your future."

"Thanks a lot, Blaine! I promise to be a great example for all the trainers & Pokémon out there!" answers Ash with determination & happiness.

Meanwhile, Charizard is hungry after this long & tiring battle. He needs something to eat. Just then, he sees Ash paying no attention to him, but rather busy talking to Blaine. Like really? Like seriously? How can his trainer be so oblivious for his Pokémon's needs? Suddenly, a flame lights up in Charizard's brain. He grins mischievously at Ash. Time to teach him a lesson!

"You would be. I am sure about that." Blaine replies to Ash's answer.

"You're embarrassing me now, Blaine!" Ash says, while rubbing his back of the head.

Just then, a low-temperature _**Flamethrower**_ hits Ash, covering him with soot. Ash falls down immediately.

After getting up & regaining his posture, Ash asks irritatingly, "Why do you do this all the time, Charizard?" to which, the Charizard replies by pointing a finger towards his mouth, signalling that he's hungry.

"Whaaa! You could've signalled it to me! Why use Flamethrower?" Ash whines, to which, he gets another Flamethrower in response.

Blaine facepalms. There's no doubt in his prediction. The future isn't in safe hands, afterall. But for now, he first needs to deal with a hungry fire-type Dragon-like Pokémon & his prey-like trainer.

* * *

After leaving Charizard & Magmortar with Nurse Joy & catching up with Pikachu, Ash & Blaine returned to the hotel, where we now find Ash gobbling up as much food as he can.

"Oh Arceus… look at this young man. Judging by his eating habits, no one can imagine that this gourmand is actually a champion of a region. Like seriously, how can he eat so much & still be so active? Is he a Snorlax in a human's skin? If no, then why is his appetite so insatiable? He's truly unique" thinks Blaine, as he observes Ash, who's currently eating his twelfth rice ball. Blaine facepalms. Was it really worth it to offer food & accommodation for free?

Just then, Ash burps loudly, signalling that his Lunch is finally over. Blaine breathes a sigh of relief, while getting slightly disgusted by Ash's eating habits. Blaine walks towards Ash & asks politely, "Are you done with it, or do you want some more?"

"Nah, it's fine. My belly's full. Thanks a lot, Blaine! Your hotel's the best!" says Ash, as he lousily uses his hands to wipe his mouth & then wipes his hands to the tablecloth.

Blaine sweatdrops. Ash seriously needs to learn Table manners & etiquettes. He's going to ignore what Ash just did for a while. Blaine, trying to deviate his thoughts from the spoiled tablecloth, says, "You know Ash, its 5 PM already. If you leave now for the Kanto mainland, I don't think you will make it before 9 PM. Plus, your Pokémon haven't healed completely. I think you should stay here for tonight. So… what do you say?"

"Well… If my Pokémon ain't fit, I gotta stay!" Ash says without any hesitation. For him, the well-being of his Pokémon is his top priority. He isn't going to compromise with that.

"Well… if you would like to stay here tonight, you are more than welcome!" Blaine speaks out, mentally cursing himself for offering Ash once again.

"Of course! Why not?! I don't think I gonna get free services in the other hotels!" Ash blurts out without even processing what he just said. Blaine's so selfless! Wish he could be like him!

"Eh… He-heh… Well, that's an assurance of loyalty…" says Blaine, as he sweatdrops for a second time. Ash seriously needs some lessons on how to behave. Especially when he's doing business! Like really, this guy is eighteen, & he still behaves like a ten year old kid!

"Anyways, what do you plan to do now? I mean, like, you've a lot of time spare!" asks Blaine, shaking off the previous topic immediately, because he hates repeated freebies. Yeah, no one likes them. But when it's a celebrity or a champion or someone famous, then he can obviously give them an exception! Celebrities attract customers! It's the most common marketing strategy!

"Hmmm… Let see… Well, I can go & help Nurse Joy! Afterall, she truly needs some extra help today!" Ash says with an honest smile. He really wants to help that Nurse Joy. She already had her hands filled when he first met her, yet she denied any external help. But now, after that tragic event, he doesn't think that she would deny any help.

"That would be an excellent idea, Ash! I would like to join you with that!" Blaine says, finally agreeing & happy with one of Ash's statements.

"Yeah! Let's Go!" says Ash enthusiastically. He can help Nurse Joy with everything she wants!

After helping out Nurse Joy & receiving their Pokémon back from her, Ash & Blaine return to the hotel, while Charizard decides to rest near the hot springs, in the backyard of the hotel.

"I feel great! Spending time with Pokémon & healing them is so relaxing!" Ash exclaims as he enters into the hotel, with Pikachu riding on his back. He's finally satisfied after helping Nurse Joy for real. He helped her with healing Pokémon & moving some stuff. The Nurse Joys even made a huge & special dinner for everyone who helped them with repairing & setting up the things! Ash had his fill of that tasty & lip-smacking meal.

"Pika, Pikachu!" exclaims Pikachu, signalling his agreement with Ash's statement. All of those relaxing massages are always a welcome; though the same can't be said about the treatment.

"Indeed, that's the best part of that profession! But it's also quite tiring," says Blaine, as he enters into the hotel while following the youthful Ash. He now truly understands the patience & skill required for the job. He now has a new found respect for all the Nurse Joys out there.

"Yeah, I am also a bit tired. What do you say Blaine & Pikachu? Wanna hit the spring?" Ash suggests. Oh Arceus… how can he not relax in a hot spring & enjoy it while being on the one & only Cinnabar Island?! He has to do that for sure! He can't miss out on those calming, healing & soothing heated water bodies!

"Pikachu!" says Pikachu, signalling his acceptance & excitement on the prospect of relaxing in the hot springs. It has been a long time since he & Ash relaxed in a hot spring. He can't wait to swim in the hot & soothing water of a hot spring!

"Well, I would rather like to get some sleep right now. I am extremely tired. But yeah, go ahead & feel free to use them" replies Blaine in a tired voice. His old age's kicking in. It's time for him to seriously start thinking about his retirement.

"Well, good night! Sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Ash wishes him in a polite & poetic manner. He has heard this one quite a few times in the past & he always wanted to use this specific interjection. It's one of the most amusing greetings he has ever heard of!

Bed bugs… Did he just say that his hotel has bed bugs? That's impossible! He always ensures that his hotel is neat & clean! Cleanliness is his top priority! "My Hotel is free from bugs!" Blaine snaps out on Ash. How can he say that?! He can tolerate all of Ash's other habits & manners, but when it comes to the reputation of his hotel & its cleanliness, he won't tolerate it. Afterall, he's the one who personally takes care of all the cleanliness & maintenance.

Pikachu sweatdrops. Looks like Ash annoyed him.

"Uh… Sorry… Sorry! I… I just meant good night!" Ash laughs out sheepishly & he sprints away from Blaine, probably towards his room. He wasn't expecting Blaine to get offended, & he hates to face the wrath of an angry person, especially a person elder than him.

"Grrr… He's getting onto my nerves now… I still can't believe that this young man is 18 years old. He behaves like as if he's still a 10 year old kid! Oh Arceus, Why?! Why do you create such weird characters?!" Blaine groans, as he watches Ash disappear in one of the hotel corridors.

* * *

Currently, Ash is headed towards the hot spring, which is situated in the hotel's backyard. He's currently wearing his swim trunks & wooden sandals. He has a wooden basket in his hands, into which he has stuffed his clothes fuzzily, & has covered the basket with a towel. Pikachu's still riding on his shoulder. As he walks down towards the hot springs, he spots his Charizard resting peacefully, in a curled manner.

A small smile forms over Ash's face. Charizard, his first fire-type Pokémon & the most challenging & ferocious Pokémon he has ever trained, looks so peaceful while sleeping. He still remembers those days when he first rescued him from his apparent death at the hands of his abusive & careless trainer. What was his name again? Was it Damien Brown? All that he can remember is that Charizard's previous trainer was arrested on the charges of planned Pokémon Murder. It turned out that he was a serial offender, & he had committed similar crimes before. Arceus knows how many Pokémon faced death due to that maniac. Ash never wants to meet that guy ever again.

Brushing off bad thoughts, Ash continues treading down towards the hot spring. It's better if he doesn't disturb Charizard. Today was an exhausting day for him. First of all, he flew all the way from Professor Oak's Ranch to the Cinnabar Island; secondly, he fought against Team Rocket; thirdly, he had a thrilling & tiring battle against Magmortar; & last but not the least, he helped Nurse Joy with the repair works.

Soon, Ash reaches into the vicinity of the hot spring area of the hotel. As he enters into the vicinity, the first thing he spots a rock barrier that separates the spring into two parts. Also, there are two changing rooms on the two sides of the spring. Okay, so there are different sections for males & females. The last time he remembers, there was a wooden barrier in between instead of the present day rock barrier. He, Brock, & Pikachu were enjoying in the hot spring when suddenly the barrier broke out to reveal a secret hideout, which was apparently Blaine's hidden Gym, which was situated at the heart of the volcano. That was also the first time when… he saw Misty… Uhhh… And Misty saw… him & Brock… Uhhh… That was so embarrassing! He & Brock weren't wearing any clothes back then! Oh Arceus, why did he recall that memory?! It was truly embarrassing! But yeah… he can't deny… Misty's looks kinda… beautiful…

Ugh! What is he thinking! That's perverse! Stop it, Ash! Focus! Focus on what you actually wanted to do! Shaking away his perversive thoughts immediately & taking a deep breath to clear his mind. Ash starts walking towards the hot spring. Pikachu gets off Ash's shoulder & sprints towards the left side of the pool which has a Luxray in it. Oh yeah. Guess he can make some new friends! That Pokémon's also of his type! He can have an entire side just for himself.

Now here's one problem for Ash. Which side of the pool is for men? The left or the right? He doesn't remember on which side of the spring he was during his last visit. Ash takes a better look around the spring. The left side seems to be empty. But yeah, there's someone on the right side! It's a Teal haired person relaxing near the left corner of the right side of the spring.

Hmmm… he's lean & has looks like he has the build of a guy… guess this is the gents' section then! Without giving any more thoughts, Ash directly jumps into the hot spring, splashing water all around him. This catches the attention of the Teal-haired person. The person turns just in time to see Ash emerge out of the spring & splash a few drops of water as he sways his head to get rid of excess of water that got soaked by his messy hairs, giving a magical effect to Ash's movements. Ash soon opens his eyes to find an extremely embarrassed Angie, hiding her face with her hands, while taking slight peeks from the gaps between her fingers. The time stands till for a moment between them before she starts to scream "AAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The realization soon dawns into Ash's head & he too joins her in freaking out as loudly as possible.

"Get outta the spring, Ash! This is the ladies' side of the spring!" Angie shouts with her eyes closed, as she dives deeper into the spring. She can't shout forever, right? And she… well… she isn't in the condition to stay above the surface of water as long as there's a guy around her.

"What?! But where is that written?" questions Ash. He didn't find any board. Where is it?

"Can't you read, you dufus! It's right behind you! Now get off or I will ask my Luxray to electrocute you!" yells Angie at Ash, annoyed by his absent-minded actions.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Wait a sec! Lemme check" Ash says as he turns around & finds a poster on the wall behind him which read – 'Men to the left, cuz Women are always right!'

"Well… There just a feminist poster posted on the wall. There's not a single board here which indicates which side of the spring belongs to ladies!" Ash says with his narrowed eyes. Like really, what are feminist posters doing in a hot spring?

"Are you crazy? That's just a humorous way to indicate the ladies & gents sections! Now either get off from this side or get electrocuted by my Luxray" Angie warns Ash for one last time. She's annoyed now. Is Ash doing it deliberately? If yes, then she won't tolerate such perverse behaviours. If that's true, then Ash will dearly pay for it.

"Okay, Okay! I am going!" Ash says fearfully, before deciding to actually step out of the spring. Oh Arceus, why is today's day so crazy? What in the world is happening with him today?

Ash immediately gets out of the wrong side of the spring & then runs towards the right side of the spring, which ironically turns out to be the left side of the spring. A surprised Pikachu & an angry Luxray awaits Ash on the edge of the spring.

"Pikachu Pika?" Pikachu asks to Ash. "Lux, Ray Luxray, Luxray Lux Luxray?" Luxray interrogates angrily, as the star on his tail starts to illuminate & spark brightly.

"Guys, calm down! I meant no harm to her! It was just a misunderstanding!" Ash says defensively, with his hands raised.

"Pika" Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief. His trainer is truly a dork. "Luxray. Ray, Luxray Lux, Luxray Ray Luxray" Luxray warns Ash, as he then turns around & continues swimming. He has to stay alert. "Uh… Okay. I promise I won't do that ever again." says Ash, in an apologetic tone. Ash then slowly steps into the hot spring once again & slowly swims off towards the right corner of the men's side of spring. It's better if he apologizes immediately.

Ash reaches near the right corner & presses his back against the wall. He relaxes for a few moments, feeling the hot & calming water touch his exhausted body, relieving him of his tired state, with every passing moment. After relaxing for a bit, he slowly says, "Hey Angie… Are you there?"

"Yes… Yes I am" Angie replies shyly. She still hasn't gotten over what just happened.

"I am sorry. It's my mistake. I should've seen that board." Ash says in an apologetic tone.

Angie narrows her eyes at that statement. "I don't think that would've made any difference. Cuz, you know, you didn't even get the meaning of that line even after you read it." Angie points out.

"Yeah, that's right. I am sorry about that though. You know, I am not the most knowledgeable person out there in terms of humour," Ash says sheepishly. What? That's not his problem! He isn't much into humour & sarcasm!

"Yeah, I know that very well by now." Angie enunciates, still annoyed by what happened a few minutes ago.

"Hey, I told you I am sorry! I won't do that ever again!" Ash apologizes once again.

Angie sighs. Yeah, she can't stay angry on someone forever, especially not on someone she likes. "Well, I accept your apology. Just don't do it ever again. You know, the other girls aren't as forgiving as I am. You could've ended up getting attacked by a Pokémon, or worse, you could've got arrested for your perverse actions" Angie accepts his apology, while also telling him about the dire consequences he could've faced.

Ash sweatdrops. This just got more serious. "Uh… Okay… I will take care about such stuff in the future" says Ash, fearful & a bit confused after hearing about the consequences.

"You better be careful. By the way, what were you exactly thinking when you jumped into the women's side of the spring? Why did you though that this one's is the men's side?" Angie asks just for her knowledge.

"Well, when I looked around, I found that the left side of the spring was empty & the right side has a person which I though was a guy; cuz you know, you kinda look like one. So I thought that the right side is for men & the left side is for women, so I jumped into the spring without thinking twice"

Angie once again turns red out to sheer embarrassment. How the hell can he say that! That's totally offensive! "That's quite offensive! How can you assume that I am a guy just because I don't have emphasizing womanly features?" Angie yells on Ash. Even if she doesn't look like one, she's still a girl! Yeah, a lot of people mistake her for a guy, but hey! She. Is. A. Girl.

"Uh… I am sorry… I guess?" is the only thing Ash manages to say. After travelling for almost eight years, he truly has learned one lesson. Never argue with a girl when you are wrong & she's extremely angry.

"Remember Ash; never assume anyone's gender on the basis of their bodily features." says Angie. Like really, how can people assume one's gender just on the basis of their physical appearance? That's outrageous!

"Okay… I will remember that…" Ash mutters sheepishly. Looks like he seriously pissed her off.

An awkward silence suddenly starts to prevail between them. For a few moments, no one utter a single word. Both of them are still shocked by what just happened a few minutes ago, & are still trying to process it. After a few seconds, Angie breaks the silence.

"I… I never got to congratulate you on your win in the first Alolan League! Also, congratulations on becoming the first champion of Alola! I have been keeping updates on your achievements & they're pretty awesome! I did watch the Alolan League, & I must say that your Pokémon are really tough! They've got some serious endurance! Especially your Rockruff!" applauds Angie. Ash does have some strong Pokémon & great tactics!

"Well, thanks a lot! What about you? Is this your first league or have you participated in any leagues other than the Indigo League?" Ash asks her in return. He still remembers those good old days of his adventures in Kanto. The fun he had on the adventure with Misty & Brock is something he would always cherish.

"Yup! I have participated in the Lily of the Valley conference where I finished in the top 8, the Ever Grande Conference, where I finished in the top 16; & now I'm participating in the Indigo League! These three years of my life have been the best years of my life so far!" Angie replies enthusiastically. She's finally getting over her embarrassment.

"That's Amazing! Your feats are incredible! Not to mention that you ended up in the top 8 in just the first attempt! You know, I ended up in the top 16 in my first attempt. So that's a great achievement!" Ash applauds her feats. She can turn out to be a better Pokémon trainer than him! "By the way, what's your progress of the Indigo League? I mean, how many badges have you earned so far?" Ash continues, with another important question.

"Yes, this one would be my last badge. I've already got the other seven badges without a single defeat" Angie says with a smirk, even if she knows that Ash can't see it. Seven. Yeah. She already has seven badges. And she won them without a single defeat.

"That's incredible! I wish you all the very best for your last badge! Blaine's one of the strongest Gym leaders I have ever faced!" Ash says with a soft smile. He has to accept it. She's is a great trainer!

"Yeah. That's true. That's the reason why I am attempting for the Volcano badge in the end. What about you champion? What do you wanna do next?" Angie asks with a sly smile.

"I… haven't decided yet. I think being champion is fun & cool, but I don't want my journey to end. I have so much more to learn, so many Pokémon to catch & train, so many adventures to go on, so many regions to explore, & so many new people to befriend. I don't want to stop. I am still reconsidering all of my decisions." Ash replies with uncertainty. Come to think of it, he hasn't given a much thought about his future plans! He hasn't decided anything regarding his position of the champion or his future adventures! All he currently wants to do is enjoy his vacations in his home region until the further notice by the Alolan Pokémon League authorities!

"Hmmm. Well, you know, had if I been on your place, I would've chosen to settle down & get married" Angie suggests with a blush.

Ash sighs. He does need a plan about his future. "Well, I believe in the motto of 'Never Settle'. I would like to keep moving, to keep on trying for the best & preparing for the worst. And about getting married… well… I haven't thought much about it." Ash speaks out his truest thoughts. Why does his Mom & most of the girls he has met till now like to talk about his marriage?

"Well, I would love to marry someone like you…" the statement slips out of Angie's mouth. Angie immediately realizes what she just said & immediately covers her mouth & starts blushing madly.

"Huh?!" Ash exclaims. What did she just say?

"Err… I mean someone who's as kind & selfless & handsome & strong & athletic like you!" blabbers Angie. AAAH! Her tongue's out of her control!

"Um… I don't exactly understand what you are trying to say…" Ash sweatdrops. What did suddenly happen to her?

"Ugh! Just forget it!" Angie shouts. It's better if he forgets everything that she just said. It would even better if he actually didn't understand anything she said.

"Uh… Okay…" Ash mutters, confused due to Angie's sudden change in her behaviour.

An awkward silence rises between the duo once again. Angie sighs. Guess she ruined the moment. She could have confessed her feelings to him right now, but her slip of the tongue ruined everything. It's better if she gets going. Angie takes a deep breath to calm down a bit.

"I think… I should… I should get going. It was nice meeting you again, Ash. I hope we meet again! Goodbye!" she says to Ash with a soft smile. Next time. She will definitely tell him the next time.

"Goodbye! Let's meet sometime once again for sure!" Ash answers her back. It's always great to meet his old partners & friends.

Angie sighs sadly. She lost her last chance to ask out Ash. Not to mention that she almost ruined her relationship with Ash. It's better if she gets going. Hope so that Ash forgets whatever she just tried to say.

"Come on Luxray, let's get going! We have an important match tomorrow!" she says as she starts to slowly wade out of the water.

"Lux…" Luxray frowns. It's already over? But why?! He wanted to spend some more time in the spring with his new buddy! Sad at the prospect but still complying with it, Luxray waves a goodbye to his new buddy Pikachu. He then steps out of the spring & rushes towards the women's side to find Angie, wrapped in a towel. After drying herself & her Luxray with her towel; Angie gets dressed, & leaves the vicinity of the hot spring with the Spark Pokémon.

"Hey Pikachu…" Ash says to Pikachu to attract his attention.

"Pika?" Pikachu turns towards Ash.

"Should I settle for what I have earned?" Ash asks an important question to his buddy, his partner.

"Pi Pika, Pika" Pikachu replies with a shrug.

"And what do you think about my marriage? I mean, is it the right time to do so? Afterall, I am just slightly more than 18… & I think I am way too young for that" Ash asks him another important question.

"Pi, Pika Pikachu, Pikachu. Pikachu, Pi Pika" Pikachu says nonchalantly, topped with some impishness.

"What do you mean by that depends on me? I don't think I am ready for that!" Ash blurts out, embarrassed by the topic. The topic of marriage always makes him feel extremely shy & embarrassed.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu says with a smile. Ash's weird. Why asks solutions for his problems to others & when he himself has the key to all of his answers?

"Oh, I guess you are correct. Anyways, I think we should get going too! Afterall, we're leaving early in the morning!"

"Pi…" refuses Pikachu. He wants to stay longer! The hot spring's really soothing; why would anyone want to leave it?

"What do you mean by no?" Ash asks, surprised by Pikachu's reply.

"Pi Pika Pi" Pikachu clarifies. Ash's an idiot. A no means no.

"Yeah I know that a no means no, but come on Pikachu! We've to wake up early tomorrow! Won't you like to see the sunrise in the Pallet Town?" Ash says to Pikachu. He knows Pikachu well. Pikachu would do anything for the perk of watching the sunrise in the Pallet Town.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaims. Who won't want to? The sunrise & sunset seen from one's home is always the best in the entire world!

"Alright! Let's Go, Pikachu!" Ash says to his best buddy as he starts to walk out of the hot spring.

* * *

It's currently 5 AM in the region of Kanto. The sun is still not up, but a certain raven haired boy & his Pokémon are. Ash, Charizard, & Pikachu are completely ready to leave for Pallet Town, their home.

"Alright Charizard, ready to leave?" Ash asks the Flame Pokémon.

"Grou!" Charizard replies with a happy roar. He can't wait to return home! Currently, they are in the Hotel's backyard, where Charizard slept yesterday.

"Take care, Ash! Keep dropping by my hotel whenever you visit the Cinnabar Island!" says Blaine, who's still in his night clothes. Apparently, Blaine & Magmortar are here to see off Ash, Pikachu, & Charizard.

"Sure Blaine! By the way, where's Angie?" Ash asks. He hasn't seen her since yesterday, after she left the hot spring.

"She's still sleeping. She wanted to rest before her today's match" Blaine answers. Blaine is truly committed towards providing customers & trainers a great experience & service in his hotel.

"Aw man, I wished to meet her before I left. I also wanted to meet Brawly & Shauna. Anyways, wish her good luck from my behalf. And good luck to you too!" Ash says with a soft smile. Maybe they'll meet someday, once again.

"Bye Ash!" Blaine waves him a goodbye.

"Bye Blaine!" Ash says goodbye as well. They will meet again for sure.

"Mag!" Magmortar bids Charizard an adieu.

"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu bids the fire type Gym leader & his partner a farewell.

"Grou!" Charizard roars loudly, signalling his farewell, too. He gives a glare of determination to the Magmortar, who returns a similar glare. They will meet again. And they will battle once again.

Charizard then lowers his back, so as to help Ash & Pikachu get onto his back easily. Ash climbs onto the Charizard's back, with Pikachu riding Ash's shoulder like always. Soon, Ash gets seated comfortably & holds tight to his Charizard. After Ash signals him that they're good to go, Charizard roars loudly & takes off. Blaine watches the trio as they start flying in the north direction.

Blaine smiles softly, as he watches the trio slowly disappear somewhere near the horizon of the star studded sky. Indeed, success runs strong in the veins of the Ketchum family. Like father, like son.

* * *

**(*1*) Cinnabar Combo** – A Combo of _**Fly**_, _**Submission**_, & _**Seismic Toss**_. It has to be executed sequentially. Ash had used this combo before during his Kanto Adventures to defeat Blaine.

**(*2*) Dazed Destruction **– A Combo of _**Confuse Ray**_, _**Thunder Punch**_, _**Rock Tomb**_ & _**Earthquake**_. It has to be executed sequentially.

**(*3*) Overheated Fire Spin** – It's a _**Fire Spin**_, but with the power of _**Overheat**_.

* * *

Author's Note:

**Ash** **Jason** – Do we seriously even need an Author's Note? Like really, we have already conversed a lot!

**IndianKnight** – Oh Bro, we still have to A LOT to discuss! We still have to explain our reason of absence! And don't forget about the word count! Author's Note is an effective way to increase it! _It's a simple spell but quite unbreakable!_

**Ash** **Jason** – WAIT! Do you mean that we've been writing Author's Notes just to increase the word count?

**IndianKnight** – Well… Sort of… But HEY! The primary reason for that is to write something funny & hilarious & creative &…

**Ash Jason** \- Well, that explains & changes everything. Now that I think about CHANGE, a lot of things have changed in the recent days; we both have joined colleges; we both are on the path to pursue a Bachelor's degree; and most importantly, we both have got really busy with our lives.

**IndianKnight** – That's true. Even I barely get any time to write my other fanfics. Not to mention the fact that we barely get enough time to rest after our hectic schedules. But hey! We aren't giving up on any of our fanfics, are we?

**Ash** **Jason** – Nah, we are the followers of Ash Ketchum. We never give up until the end! That reminds me, does Ash even need this life lesson? I mean, it is what he has learned for the most of his life! He has lost so many matches & a good amount of leagues; but he never gave up. And now finally, in the end, he has won the first Alolan league. Not to mention that it's sort of his catchphrase! So, is it even necessary for Blaine to teach him this thing?

**IndianKnight** – Well Bro, it is clearly evident by Blaine's thoughts that he thinks that the next generation is not intelligent enough & lacks practicality & the knowledge of basic life skills & lessons. So, that's the reason why Blaine tries to teach Ash about not giving up.

**Ash** **Jason** – But he does know about his achievements, right? Then shouldn't he figure it out that Ash already knows about it?

**IndianKnight** – Well, let's just say that OLD AGE is getting the better out of Blaine.

**Ash** **Jason** – Or maybe it's just some lazy writing. Or maybe something fishier… like that word count trick…

**IndianKnight** – Err… Can't we just leave that topic aside? Do we really need to speak on such stuff? Why can't we speak on much more crazier stuff, like Team Rocket.

**Ash** **Jason** – Yeah, you are right. Team Rocket's CRAZY!

**IndianKnight** – Yeah, we tried to make every Team Rocket sequence to be as funny as possible. Are they always going to be THIS hilarious?

**Ash** **Jason** – Well, we will try our best to do so! Cuz Team Rocket's TEAM ROCKET afterall! And everyone loves a funnier but stronger Team Rocket!

**IndianKnight** – Yeah, everyone loves that trio. But you know what people love more? Pokeshipping! And this chapter has references to it!

**Ash** **Jason** – Nah, people love Amourshipping more than Pokeshipping. And I will definitely ensure that Amourshipping triumphs over it. You won this time Sissy, but the next time, Amourshipping's going to win! MWAH…HAHAHA!

**IndianKnight** – We will see about that. We will see.

**Ash** **Jason** – Anyways, how would you describe this prologue?

**IndianKnight** – Humongous, EPIC, & CRAZY!

**Ash** **Jason** – Hell YEAH, you are right sissy! It surely was CRAZY!

**Joker** – Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?

**IndianKnight** – Who said that?

**Ash** **Jason** – Whoa! It's THE JOKER!

**IndianKnight** – Uh-Oh… It's the Joker…

**Ash** **Jason** – Hey Mr. Arthur… err… I mean Joker, what's up?! What are you doing here?

**Joker** – My Mom always tells me to smile & put on a happy face. She says I was PUT HERE to spread joy & happiness.

**IndianKnight** – Bro, I think we should leave…

**Ash** **Jason** – Hell No! I don't wanna miss the chance to meet THE JOKER!

**IndianKnight** – But he's THE JOKER Bro! Let's leave!

**Ash** **Jason** – But that's the point Sissy! He's THE JOKER!

**IndianKnight** – We're leaving. NOW. (Grabs the collar of Ash Jason's shirt & starts dragging him away from the potential threat)

**Ash** **Jason** – Hey! Don't be so violent Sissy!

**Joker** – I just don't want to feel so bad anymore…

**Ash** **Jason** – Hey Mr. Joker! We will meet someday soon!

**IndianKnight** – Shut UP!

**Joker** – For my whole life, I didn't know if I even really existed. But I do, & people are starting to notice.

* * *

_We hope that you liked the Part I of the Prologue 3! This prologue was getting way too huge; so we had to split it into two parts. The Part II of this prologue will focus on how Ash begins his New Adventure, & how he ends up in Meluha. What happens next? When & how will Ash begin his adventure? Will he encounter his old companions, rivals & enemies during this period of time? Will he meet Damien & Angie ever again? Who's Ash's father? Stay tuned to find out more about the mysterious & diverse region of Meluha!_

**© Ash Jason. (OC Character Backgrounds, Story Artwork, Plot elements)**

**© IndianKnight. (OC Character Artworks & Backgrounds, Plot elements)**

**© The Pokémon Company International. (Rest of the characters & assets)**


End file.
